Keynote speaker Aba Taylor of the Interaction Institute for Social Change spoke at the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration held on January 20.

By Shira Laucharoen

The annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration event invited audience members to re-examine the traditional stories they know and look to the future, held at East Somerville Community School on January 20. The program was themed “Working Today Towards a Better Tomorrow,” and featured student essay contest winners, as well as keynote speaker Aba Taylor of the Interaction Institute for Social Change.

The celebration was led by emcee Marcus Santos and included musical performances by El Sistema Somerville and the Somerville High School World Percussion Ensemble. Organized by the City of Somerville’s Health and Human Services Department, Somerville Public Schools, and the Somerville Human Rights Commission, the event honored King’s legacy and civil rights work, his commitment to racial equality. The city’s Manager of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Nency Salamoun wrote in an email that the work that King started still needs to continue.

“It is important to recognize that despite some advancement, the work of the Civil Rights Movement and Martin Luther King Jr. is not over,” wrote Salamoun. “We have to continue the work of dismantling the systems of racial inequities and oppression that are imbedded in our society. We continue to see people of color facing vast inequities in housing, education, health and wealth and our criminal justice system. We honor Dr. King by continuing to commit ourselves to this work and towards the creation of a just and equitable society.”

The Somerville High School World Percussion Ensemble presented a musical performance, directed by Marcus Santos.

Taylor asked audience members to brainstorm ideas that they associated with King, adding that while he is revered today, he was not a popular figure while he was alive. Understanding this shift in perspective requires us to think about the narratives that we tell ourselves about people, she said, as the stories we continue to perpetuate today are different than those many years ago.

Taylor explained that stories can be identified through a Storytelling Project Model, which breaks them down into stock stories, concealed stories, resistance stories, and counter stories. King refuted the stock stories perpetuated in dominant culture, challenging the stereotypes pervasive in society.

The event highlighted the work of student essay contest winners, Shizuko Petrosky-Harris, Nora Gamache, Beatrix Calvert, and Anarghya Rajbanshi. Students reflected on figures who inspired them to make the community a better place, as well as King’s role in inspiring them to create a better community. King’s lessons offered students hope for a more egalitarian future, as conveyed through the essays.

“Hearing Martin Luther King’s story made me realize that you can be non-binary, male, black, white, rich, or poor, be any of these things, and you can still change the world as we know it,” read Calvert’s essay. “You just need a dream or vision and a strong mentality for what you are going to do.”

King will be remembered for the change he was able to galvanize, as well as his advocacy for nonviolence and demonstrations of civil disobedience, said chief communications and development officer for Somerville Public Schools Susana Morgan Hernandez. As we honor King, the progress he made continues to influence us today, she said.

“I think Dr. King’s legacy of peaceful activism around the issues of equality and social justice, as well as leadership in the social justice movement, really changed the course of history,” said Hernandez. “He was one man who had an unfailing commitment of upholding human dignity and respect. His legacy lies not just in the impact he had on our society but also the message that his actions continue to send about the importance of standing up for what is just or right. He continues to demonstrate that one person can make a difference.”

Community arts organization The Beautiful Stuff Project facilitated the creation of a mosaic, with the theme “Dream.”