2024 Martin Luther King, Jr Day events
The West Chester Liberty community is invited to attend the 25th annual "Live the Dream: Our Declaration of Unity" community-wide celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday, Jan. 15. The program will recognize this year’s student contest winners and follows the one-mile community march, which extends from West Chester Township to Liberty Township.
This year’s "Historical Interview" contest theme challenged students to interview an individual who lived through some part of the Civil Rights Movement. Students were asked to capture the individual’s personal experience, then reflect together on what has changed and what work is left to do in pursuit of MLK’s goal for racial unity. All winning essays, skits, songs, artwork or videos will be recognized during the program, also complete with a keynote address and live music from a community choir. A video series produced by West Chester Township’s multimedia team and to be released in the weeks following MLK Day zooms shares each winning entry. Like recent years, the “March for Unity” will follow a symbolic route that connects West Chester and Liberty townships. The entire community is invited to gather at the southwest corner of the Cabela’s parking lot (7250 Cabela Drive, West Chester) at the intersection of Tylers Place Boulevard and Cabela Drive at 10 a.m. Participants will proceed to Liberty Center’s Sabin Hall, where the community program will begin at approximately 10:30 a.m. A special food drive throughout January and February to benefit Reach Out Lakota and Faith United Methodist Church's food pantry is continuing this year as well. Specific drop-off locations include EDGE Teen Center, the West Chester and Liberty Township offices, MidPointe Library West Chester and Liberty branches, or directly to either Reach Out Lakota or Faith United Methodist Church. New this year is a drive for new and gently used coats and winter accessories like hats, gloves and scarves. The drive is in partnership with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Liberty Township and all donations will be directed to the EDGE Teen Center and the Boys & Girls Club of West Chester Liberty. Donations will be accepted at the starting point of the march as well as Sabin Hall where the program is taking place. The video series, featuring all student winners, will be released via social media throughout January. It will also air via West Chester's Spectrum public access channels 4 and 15 and can be accessed on the West Chester Township YouTube channel or the West Chester Township Vimeo channel. Continuing the Dream Black History Month Lecture Devotion: A Story of Friendship and Comradeship Formed Across Race MidPointe Library West Chester, 9363 Centre Pointe Drive Monday, February 26, 2024 at 6:30 pm Presented by Eric Guttag Details at https://programs.midpointelibrary.org/events |
Why We March Today
Not because we must, but because we may. Not as a protest to change what is not fair, but as a celebration of the positives for which we are thankful. We are members of a community, coming together peacefully to demonstrate that ours is a town that strives toward racial reconciliation, and hopes to express that goal symbolically in a tangible way. |
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This event is the offically sanctioned observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day in West Chester and Liberty Townships
What is the Purpose of Our Commemoration?
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