Brookline to Celebrate 25th Anniversary of MLK Day With Special Event

The Town of Brookline will celebrate the 25th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with "Keeping the Promise," a special event on Sunday, Jan. 9, 2011 at 3 p.m. at the , 290 Harvard Street, Brookline.  The celebration will be free and open to the public.

Award-winning author Peniel E. Joseph will deliver the keynote address. The event will also feature performances by PALS Children's Chorus, The Winiker Band and the Brookline High School Jazz Band, as well as readings by students from the Steps to Success program. Brookline High School faculty member Malcolm Cawthorne will serve as Master of Ceremonies.

"The Town is proud to be sponsoring this special event in honor of the 25th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, " said Selectman Jesse Mermell, the chair of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Committee. "As a community we are committed to keeping Dr. King's promise of tolerance and equality. This event is designed to reflect on where our country has been, as well as what we have left to accomplish."

Peniel E. Joseph is a Professor of History at Tufts University and the author of the award-winning "Waiting 'Til the Midnight Hour: A Narrative History of Black Power in America" and "Dark Days, Bright Nights: From Black Power to Barack Obama," as well as editor of "The Black Power Movement: Rethinking the Civil Rights-Black Power Era" and "Neighborhood Rebels: Black Power at the Local Level." He is a frequent national commentator on issues of race, democracy and civil rights. Dr. Joseph is the recipient of fellowships from Harvard University's Charles Warren Center, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the Ford Foundation.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Committee was established by a vote of the Board of Selectmen in 2009 to reaffirm the Town of Brookline's commitment to inclusiveness, tolerance and diversity. The Committee is charged with planning the Town's annual celebration of the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.