Glen Cove to Hold Citywide March in Honor of Martin Luther King Jr.

Glen Cove will hold its 33rd annual citywide tribute to the late civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, Jan. 16.

The community will honor Dr. King with a symbolic march from the City’s First Baptist Church to the Wunsch Arts Center at Robert M. Finley Middle School starting at 8:45 a.m.

“Glen Cove is one of two communities in New York State that has had a consistent commitment to honoring the words, teachings and legacy of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” Sheryl Goodine, president of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Birthday Commission, said in a press release. “We are proud to continue this tradition and each year we welcome all area residents and students to join us in embracing the need for solidarity.”

A commemorative program at 9:30 a.m. will present “The Power of a Dream in a United Community.” Participants in this year’s program include the Glen Cove High School Select Chorale, Glen Cove High School Drumline, the ESOTA dancers and remarks by Glen Cove Mayor Reggie Spinello and local dignitaries.

For the first time in several years the event will host a special guest speaker. Joselo Lucero is the brother of Ecuadorean immigrant Marcelo Lucero who was killed in a 2008 hate crime. Since his brother's death, Joselo Lucero has dedicated his life to fighting discrimination. He now serves as the Community Outreach Coordinator for the Hagedorn Foundation where he advocates for love and tolerance at local schools, colleges and other agencies and organizations.

Image via City of Glen Cove from 2016’s unity march in honor of Dr. King (photo by Tony Gallego, Gill Associates)