Column: Significance In MLK’s Life Journey
[Written by Glenn Fubler]
On Thursday, April 4th more than a dozen community personalities, joined in symbolically honouring the spirit of Martin Luther King on the date which is a milestone in the life of the late Drum Major for Peace. This involved Breaking Bread with others – especially those who have been pushed to the margins of our society.
To provide background:
April 4th serves as a most significant date in the Life Journey of Martin Luther King. On that date in 1967, he delivered a seminal speech at the Riverside Baptist Church in Manhattan before a full crowd of mostly Faith Leaders, in which he called for a Revolution of Values – a change in of his society, which focused more on things rather than people.
On that occasion MLK -for the first time – voiced his comprehensive opposition to the United States war on Vietnam, and he did so by issuing an indictment on the system that he contended promoted racism, economic exploitation and war. In his speech King alluded to the fact that the Human Family is interconnected and proposed that when we nurture those connections – promote human solidarity- ; there is an opportunity for a win-win for all concerned.
On April 4, 1968, exactly a year after that speech, Martin was assassinated in Memphis, while campaigning for sanitation workers in that city.
On Thursday, April 4, 2024, two venues were selected to share this spirit with some of our most challenged local residents, by Breaking Bread with them. During the lunchtime, 5 volunteers did a 30 -minute lite-lunch and dialogue with ten persons. At 5 pm at another venue, 6 other volunteers spent just over an hour, with a group of about 30 residents.
The goal of the volunteers was to demonstrate that while he was assassinated decades ago, the spirit that inspired Martin King still lives in all of us across the globe.
One way we all – the wider community – can affirm King’s call to nurture solidarity – over the next few days – is to share a meal by Breaking Bread, with one or more persons who are outside of our normal circles.
Additionally, we are announcing that the Bermuda National Library, Imagine Bermuda and other community groups are involved in a collaboration that is preparing an initiative for next School Year for young people to do a ‘deep dive’ into King’s seminal speech. This, is a part of the on-going campaign recognizing that we are all, Always Learning.
Those involved in this Breaking Bread initiative include: at Lunchtime: Sharon Swan [former Head Nurse at Westgate], Rev Michael Berkeley, Gordon Campbell M.D., Rev Dr Leonard Santucci & Glenn Fubler. Supper volunteers included: Sharon Symonds [3rd VP – BPSU], Fiona Elkinson [Jewish community], Rev Dr Georgette Prime-Godwin, Bishop Nick Dill, Police Commissioner Darren Simons, Sen Dwayne Robinson & Glenn Fubler. [N.B. The Premier had planned to join the supper session, but due to unplanned-for circumstances was unable to attend]
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