Milton's Annual Dr.Martin Luther King Jr.Celebration

Milton honors the legacy of Rev.Dr.Martin Luther King Jr.

The roads may have been icy and sleek as bone- chilling temperatures enveloped the town,but upon entry into the Concord Baptiste Church,adorned with portraits,Poems and exquisite art,a sea of warmth filled the air as together we gathered to honor the legacy of Rev Dr.Martin Luther King Jr

Rev Conley Hughes,senior Pastor at Concord Baptist Church,welcomed all in attendance and stated that there is a fierce urgency of now,celebrating our diversity with members attendees from Milton and surrounding communities .

We all symbolically rose in solidarity as Rabbi Benjamin sounded the Shofar,reflecting a call for action.Immediately following we listened to excerpts of Dr.King's famous I Have a Dream speech

" I have a dream ,that my four little children,will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character,I gave a dream ....."

On this the 51st Anniversary of the death of Dr.King,Chair of the Milton Board of Selectmen Richard G Wells, offered a proclamation, reiterating the fact that Milton will maintain a policy of zero tolerance against hate , reflecting on the selflessness and equality for all.

This was an evening of song and dance,celebrating the beauty in diversity.The Concord Baptist Church Junior Vessels of Praise had us all rise in a standing ovation following a stirring Liturgical Dance to the song Better Than I Found It, something Dr.King worked so hard to do,in efforts to leave the world better than he found it.

The beautiful voices of the Collicot and Cunningham Elementary Chorus lifted Ys up with their angelic voices reminding us that there is a light in us all,that shines brightly.

The Milton High School Diversity Group introduced the 2019 Dr Martin Luther King essay and art contest winners Caroline Gannon,Grace Kelly,Connor Foley and Sophomore Anna Fahy whose stunning collage graced the cover of the evening's program .

Where there is a song, there is a story.

A message strongly and emphatically resonated by Keynote Speaker Rev Carrington Moore. Again and again he reminded us that Dr King had a song in his soul and singing and music were two things he held dear.So important to him that during difficult and turbulent moments in his life he would rely on the powerful vocals of his friend Mahailia Jackson to soothe his troubled mind.

The music of the night continued with the melodious voices of the Milton High School"s Select Chorus singing Precious Lord.In the absence if conductor Johnny Nichols ( due to weather) Senior Penelope Holland lead like a seasoned professional.

Rev Bill Palardy led the congregation in The No Place For Hate Resolution of Respect read in Unison,by making this pledge recommitting ourselves to creating a Milton community that is No Place For Hate.

As the evening came to a close,and before we all made our way to the Great Hall for fellowship and desserts,with hands joined in togetherness,bench by bench and row by row our voices resonated as we swayed and sang together

" We shall overcome,we shall overcome,we shall overcome someday....

The dream lives on......