Shane Carter, executive director of the Lincoln Community Center, speaks during the 2020 Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration at the First United Methodist Church in Troy.
Mike Ullery | Miami Valley Today file photo
For the Miami Valley Today
TROY — The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. commemoration will be held this year on Monday, Jan. 17, at 10:30 a.m. The event is open to the public and will also be streamed live on Facebook, starting at 10:30 a.m. There is also a new parade route starting at the Troy Senior Recreation Center at 134 N. Market St. at approximately 9 a.m., ending at the First United Church of Christ at 120 S. Market St.
This year’s celebration continues to be around Dr. King’s concept of “the Beloved Community”, first coined by philosopher-theologian Josiah Royce and then popularized by Dr. King.
Dr. King declared, “The end is reconciliation; the end is redemption; the end is the creation of the Beloved Community. It is this type of spirit and this type of love that can transform opponents into friends…It is this love which will bring about miracles in the hearts of men.”
Dr. King’s Beloved Community possesses a global vision in which “poverty, hunger, and homelessness will not be tolerated because international standards of human decency will not allow it. Racism and all forms of discrimination, bigotry, and prejudice will be replaced by an all-inclusive spirit of sisterhood and brotherhood.”
In the current climate, as this nation struggles to live together and work through conflict, the MLK Planning Team remains committed to reminding the community that this is possible. The program includes a diverse set off offerings from teens and adults, black and white and reflects what many in the Troy community believe the beloved community is and how it can be accomplished. There will be spoken word, music, and a powerful local speaker. They will also recognize a community member who serves Troy through serving its children and fights tirelessly to support the marginalized and create the kind of community Dr. King envisioned.
The First United Church of Christ is located at 120 S. Market St. in Troy. The service begins at 10:30 a.m. To access the live stream, go to www.facebook.com/FirstUCCTroyOhio at 10:30 a.m.
