I am writing as a member of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Planning Committee to thank the many people who participated in honoring Dr. King and his legacy in the fight for racial justice, despite frigid weather and the challenges of Covid 19! 

Thanks to Ethan Hughes, Thumbs Cassidy, Astrid Montuclard and Phoebe Dolan for a Non-Violent Direct Action Training in the tradition of Dr. King. And thanks to the Colonial Theatre for agreeing to start our MLK Day events off by showing  the powerful film Selma that depicts the struggle for voting rights that continues today.

Thank you to Karin Spitfire, Mary Jean Crowe, and Carrie Pierce, three local artists who offered their work for us to hang in 15 local shops and offices to signify the importance of equality, inclusion and racial justice in our community. Thank you to Ned Lightner and Joel Krueger who interviewed folks around town about the significance of MLK Jr Day and creatively produced a video recording to share.

Thanks also to the panelists on our Zoom Panel : "Community Activism: Vision for a Better World" centered on work around racial justice in Waldo County--Louisa Carl, Rio Dubois, Nnenaya Bloomstein, Sheriff Jeff Trafton, and Sarah Matari. Thank you to "No Greater Love Food Pantry" who partnered with us to collect non-perishable foods .

Thank you to Aimee Moffett-Mercer for her sound and musical addition to the outdoor vigil that the First Church UCC generously hosted, and to Betsy Headley for her photography. Thanks to everyone who came out despite the cold and participated in myriad ways, to honor Dr. King and commit to the continuing work for civil rights. As Dr. Cornel West wrote, " Justice is what love looks like in public." We are grateful for the love in this community.

We also want to thank Vic Treadwell and Ned Lightner from Belfast Community Radio, WBFY and Belfast TV for their work recording and sharing both the video and the Panel Discussion  through local media.

If you would like a link to view or share either the video or the Panel Discussion, go to belfastmlkday@gmail.com and request either the Video or Audio links.

~ for the Dr. MLK Jr. Day Planning Committee: Meredith Bruskin, Bob Shaw, Cloe Chunn, Joel Krueger, Steve Wolfsen, Ivy Lobato, Dr. Arthur Jones

Meredith Bruskin

Swanville 338-5089