Tag Archives: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Kent County to honor the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on April 4

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Submitted by Kent County

 

Kent County’s Board of Commissioners, Administrator’s Office and Cultural Insight Council are proud to host an event in memory of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the 50th Anniversary of his assassination.

 

“Honoring the Dream” will bring the community together to demonstrate the unity and inclusion Kent County embraces. The event will be open to the public and held on Calder Plaza, April 4, starting at noon.

 

“For some of us, the terrible, tragic images of April 4, 1968 are forever etched into our minds,” said Wayman Britt, Kent County Administrator/Controller. “We — as a society — have grown over the past fifty years. Unfortunately, we still see racism, divisiveness, and prejudice today. The goal of this special event is to bring awareness of the life and work of Dr. King and to reflect on how we all can strive to eliminate hatred and bigotry.”

 

The event was the idea of the Cultural Insight Council (CIC), a self-directed workgroup of more than two dozen individuals from County departments.

 

“We wanted to gather as a community and spend a few minutes reflecting on the lessons of Dr. King’s life and death,” said Darius Quinn, Human Resources Manager and Chair of the CIC, which was formed in 2001. “The CIC is dedicated to providing an environment where diversity, equity and inclusion are valued. This event is a reflection of the standard the County staff strives to achieve every day.”

 

The Board of Commissioners have voiced support for the King legacy and will present a Proclamation during the event.

 

“Kent County is ethnically and racially diverse,” said Jim Saalfeld, Kent County Board Chair. “Therefore, our ability to serve the public in a culturally-competent manner is critical to what we are called to do. I am proud of the work of the CIC and how the employees of Kent County are willing to address this important aspect of public service.”

 

For crowd planning purposes, the county asks for RSVPs at cic@kentcountymi.gov .

 

Kentwood resident helps bring the story of the Civil Rights Act to life in Civic Theatre production

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The cast in Grand Rapids Civic Theatre’s “All the Way”

 

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

joanne@wktv.org

 

If you ask the average person what Lyndon B. Johnson accomplished during his presidency, few would be able to give you an answer. Ask those same people, about the Civil Rights Act and many would state it was a big accomplishment for the 35th President John F. Kennedy.

 

Truth is, it was a very big accomplishment for Johnson.

 

“I was born after the passage,” said Kentwood resident Marissa Baty. “My experience was through history. You heard about JFK and his death and then the vice president [Johnson] became president.

 

Kentwood resident Marissa Baty portrays Coretta Scott King in Civic Theatre’s production of “All the Way.”

Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. Johnson was sworn in as president and spent the next eight months working toward making the Civil Rights Act into law. The current Grand Rapids Civic Theatre production, “All The Way,” explores the trials and tribulations Johnson, commonly referred to as LBJ, experienced as he hurls himself into getting the act passed along with seeking re-election and the recognition he so desperately wants.

 

“LBJ really made a sacrifice,” said Baty who portrays Martin Luther King Jr.’s wife Coretta Scott King in the production. “The production explores what it took him emotionally and personally to get the Civil Rights Act passed.”

 

It wasn’t just Johnson who made compromises, but Martin Luther King Jr. who was forced to contend with conservative and militant leaders as Johnson used every trick in the book — cajolery, arm-twisting, and even blackmail — to get his way. The play, written by Robert Schenkkan, raises questions about the morality of power and politics and how far one can go for good intentions.

 

Baty, who has appeared in other Civic Theatre productions such as “Good People” and “Ragtime,” said she became more familiar with the story of Johnson’s work after seeing the television film “All the Way” — the title taken from Johnson’s 1964 re-election bid — starring Bryan Cranston, who reprised his Broadway role as Johnson and Anthony Mackie as King.

 

“I think now with everything that is going on, it is really important to understand how the political process works,” Baty said, adding that people need to understand how laws are created and the importance of putting people in office who are able and component to create those laws.

 

“LBJ and Martin Luther King were not perfect people,” she said. “They came together perfectly for America.”

 

The story of them coming together for a common good is one worth telling, Baty said, adding that she is thrilled to be part of telling that story and that Civic Theatre was willing to present it.

 

“All the Way” runs through Jan. 28 at the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre, 30 N. Division Ave. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays; and 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $16-$28. For more information, visit www.grct.org.

GVSU announces 2018 speakers for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration Week

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April Regin

Two women who started national movements against acts of oppression will visit Grand Valley State University as keynote speakers during the campus’ 2018 commemoration of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

 

April Reign, creator of the viral hashtag #OscarsSoWhite, is slated as the speaker on Monday, Jan. 15; and Bree Newsome, who climbed a flagpole in South Carolina in 2015 to remove a Confederate flag, is the Wednesday, Jan. 17, speaker.

 

Reign is an attorney and writer who lives in Washington, D.C. In 2015, she sent a tweet critical of the 88th Academy Awards ceremony and lack of people of color nominated in major acting and directing categories. Her #OscarsSoWhite tweet went viral and was a catalyst for a social media movement and caused the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to change its membership policies and voting rules.

 

Reign now has a social media following of more than 100,000, and is listed among the top 15 accounts on #BlackTwitter by the National Journal. She regularly appears at academic institutions, entertainment networks and studios to speak about diversity and inclusion.

 

As part of a collaborative effort among Grand Valley, Grand Rapids Community College and Davenport University, Reign also will give presentations at GRCC, Fountain Street Church in Grand Rapids and Davenport’s campus during her two-day stay in West Michigan.

 

Bree Newsome

Newsome is a filmmaker and artist who was in the national spotlight in 2015 when the climbed a flagpole in Columbia, South Carolina — the state’s capital — to lower its Confederate flag. Her action came shortly after the mass shooting of nine African American parishioners at a church in Charleston, South Carolina. She was arrested along with another activist and soon #FreeBree was a Twitter trend and $100,000 raised for her $3,000 jail fine.

 

Her actions stirred the political pot in many communities. The Confederate flag was permanently removed from the statehouse by then-Gov. Nikki Haley and discussion moved across the country considering flags and monuments.

 

Newsome lives in North Carolina and works as an artist and community organizer. She earned the 2016 NAACP Image Award and was named to the Ebony 100, recognizing her commitment to civil rights.

 

Grand Valley’s 2018 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration Week will run Jan. 15-20; visit gvsu.edu/mlkfor updates.