On August 28, 1963, just a century after the Emancipation Proclamation, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led more than 200,000 Americans in a March on Washington in pursuit of jobs and freedom for all people. Standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, he called on Americans “to sit down together at the table of brotherhood” and meet our promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all. On that historic day, and throughout his life, Dr. King exemplified the quintessential American belief that we will leave a brighter, more prosperous future for our children. Today, we honor and celebrate Dr. King, a giant of the civil rights movement whose nonviolent resistance to the injustices of his era — racial segregation, employment discrimination, and the denial of the right to vote — enlightened our Nation and the world.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’
Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Monday, January 20, 2020, marks America’s 35th celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr., Day. Honoring King with the sacred status of a federal holiday—of which there are only 10, none other named for a 20th-century figure—is a testament to the unifying power of his legacy.
Baseball Americana is celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Atlanta GA, Martin Luther King Jr. teaches his son, Marty, how to hold a baseball bat in the backyard of their Atlanta home (that’s daughter Yolanda on the right), November 1964.
A longtime admirer of Jackie Robinson, Dr. King had many connections to the baseball world. In fact, it was King who helped convince Jackie to ignore detractors and take a more vocal role in the civil rights movement (they often appeared together at public events). King once said of Robinson: “[B]ack in the days when integration wasn’t fashionable, he underwent the trauma and the humiliation and the loneliness which comes with being a pilgrim walking the lonesome byways toward the high road of Freedom. He was a sit-inner before the sit-ins, a freedom rider before the Freedom Rides.” (Jackie disagreed with King on some issues, especially the Vietnam War; however, Robinson—who called King “one of the most magnificent leaders the world has today”—devoted an entire chapter of his 1972 autobiography to MLK’s influence.)
Ridgewood NJ, The Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday will be observed with virtual programs on January 15, 16, and 18, 2021, with the theme, “The Struggle Endures”. Please see the attached flyer for further information.
Midland Park NJ, On Monday, January 18th several locations of Code Ninjas in Bergen County will be hosting events for students. Code Ninjas of Midland Park will host a free MLK Coding Workshop Day with three one-hour workshops to be held at 10:00am, 11:30am and 1:00pm. The coding workshops are appropriate for children ages 7 to 10 years old. Children will experience creative and analytical challenges and opportunities as they build, mod, and create ‘Minecraft’ like games in Scratch. Participants will be able to choose their own characters and actions inside the games and learn to control and manipulate those characters.
Welcome 2021! Wishing you all the best for the New Year!
The New Year is a time of introspection and renewal. A time for creativity and new ideas. Kicking off our New Year we will be offering a day of coding workshops for children ages 7 to 10 on January 18th. Our goal is to inspire and encourage.
Ridgewood NJ, The Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on Jan. 20, 2020, marks the 25th anniversary of the day of service that celebrates the Civil Rights leader’s life and legacy. Observed each year on the third Monday in January as “a day on, not a day off,” MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities. The Corporation for National and Community service has been charged to lead this effort for the last quarter century.
Ridgewood N J, So as we honor this Great Republican Martin Luther King Jr. who fought for you(African American and other minorities )to sit at a lunch counter. Let us consider what he stood for conservative values, civil rights and for all of us to work together and for equality . Happy Birthday Martin Luther King Jr.
One hundred years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, the great Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., took to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and shared his vision of an America lifted from the “quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.” His extraordinary message that momentous day in August of 1963 stirred to action Americans of every race and creed, and it continues to reverberate in the hearts and minds of patriotic citizens across our great land. Today, as we pause to mark the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we recommit ourselves to the advancement of equality and justice for all Americans, and to the full realization of his worthy dream.
Ridgewood NJ, All Village of Ridgewood offices will be closed Monday, January 21st in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. There will be no sanitation or recycling pickup. The Police Department will be open.
It should come as no surprise that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Republican. In that era, almost all black Americans were Republicans. Why? From its founding in 1854 as the anti-slavery party until today, the Republican Party has championed freedom and civil rights for blacks. And as one pundit so succinctly stated, the Democrat Party is as it always has been, the party of the four S’s: slavery, secession, segregation and now socialism.
It was the Democrats who fought to keep blacks in slavery and passed the discriminatory Black Codes and Jim Crow laws. The Democrats started the Ku Klux Klan to lynch and terrorize blacks. The Democrats fought to prevent the passage of every civil rights law beginning with the civil rights laws of the 1860s, and continuing with the civil rights laws of the 1950s and 1960s.
During the civil rights era of the 1960s, Dr. King was fighting the Democrats who stood in the school house doors, turned skin-burning fire hoses on blacks and let loose vicious dogs. It was Republican President Dwight Eisenhower who pushed to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1957 and sent troops to Arkansas to desegregate schools. President Eisenhower also appointed Chief Justice Earl Warren to the U.S. Supreme Court, which resulted in the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision ending school segregation. Much is made of Democrat President Harry Truman’s issuing an Executive Order in 1948 to desegregate the military. Not mentioned is the fact that it was Eisenhower who actually took action to effectively end segregation in the military.
Democrat President John F. Kennedy is lauded as a proponent of civil rights. However, Kennedy voted against the 1957 Civil Rights Act while he was a senator, as did Democrat Sen. Al Gore Sr. And after he became President, Kennedy was opposed to the 1963 March on Washington by Dr. King that was organized by A. Phillip Randolph, who was a black Republican. President Kennedy, through his brother Atty. Gen. Robert Kennedy, had Dr. King wiretapped and investigated by the FBI on suspicion of being a Communist in order to undermine Dr. King.
Ridgewood NJ, This past Monday the Martin Luther King, jr. interfaith celebration was held. It was intended to be a celebration of the teachings of Dr. King and was to include Rev. Sampson, pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church in New York as the guest speaker, followed by an outdoor rally and a light lunch. The program was also to feature Ridgewood and Glen Rock student speakers and musical performances by the Indian Hills Chamber Choir and Men of Umoja chorus.
Much of the event was beautiful until Aronsohn and Gottheimer turned it into their own personal soapboxes.
It turned into a political rally of sorts. After Pastor Mack Brandon introduced Rep. Gottheimer and welcomed him to the podium, suddenly FORMER Mayor Aronsohn shoved his way to the front, all but pushing Gottheimer back down. Aronsohn then proceeded to give an unscheduled speech (unscheduled, but not unplanned, because he had a paper in his hand as he bulldozed his way to the altar). Following this ridiculous display, Aronsohn himself went on to welcome Gottheimer to come and speak, even though Gottheimer had already been invited to the microphone by Pastor Brandon a few minutes earlier. People were kind of shocked by Aronsohn going off-script and just inserting himself into the event. Gottheimer then proceeded to give a political rally type of speech, not one honoring Dr. King and his principles and teachings, but one that was self-promoting, all about him and his agenda.
Politicians (or wannabe politicians like Aronsohn) should be banned from speaking at such an event. It was a disgrace.
Ridgewood NJ, January 15, 2018 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – All Village Offices will be closed in observance of this holiday. In addition, there will be no garbage or recycling collection, and the Recycling Center will also be closed. All Village Offices will re-open on January 16, 2018 at 8:30 a.m.
Ridgewood NJ, the Ridgewood and Glen Rock Host 36th Annual Martin Luther King Day Observance is a Free Community Program will Feature The Rev. Dr. Calvin G. Sampson, Student Speakers and Outdoor March .The Rev. Dr. Calvin G. Sampson will deliver remarks addressing the theme “The Fierce Urgency of Now!” as The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Committee of Ridgewood and Glen Rock hosts its 36th annual celebration of Dr. King’s life and legacy.
The community is invited to attend this free event, which will take place on Monday, January 15, 2018 at the Ridgewood United Methodist Church, 100 Dayton St., in Ridgewood, New Jersey, starting at 10 a.m.
Rev. Sampson, pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church in New York, will be the guest speaker during an interfaith worship service, which will be followed by a march through downtown Ridgewood and a light lunch. The program also will feature Ridgewood and Glen Rock student speakers and musical performances by the Indian Hills Chamber Choir, Men of Umoja chorus and The Young Voices of Mt. Bethel Baptist Church.
Born and raised in the Bronx, New York, Rev. Sampson has served as President of the Westchester County chapter of Operation PUSH, which was founded by Rev. Jesse Jackson in 1971 to improve the economic status of African Americans. Rev. Sampson also was chairman of the Westchester Church Community Campaign of the United Negro College Fund, and has been the host of the “Westchester Church News” radio broadcast on WVOX. He holds a Bachelors degree of Divinity and a Master of Divinity degree in Pastoral Counseling from New York Theological Seminary, and received the LLD (Doctor of Laws for pastoral work in the ministry) from Lynchburg College.
“During the past year, there has been a growing sense of urgency around our country’s continued struggle for racial and social justice,” said Alice Newton, committee co-chair. “In Dr. King’s words, ‘This is no time for apathy or complacency,’ and we welcome Rev. Sampson’s insights and inspiration at a time when deliberate and thoughtful action is needed to achieve progress.”
The annual Ridgewood/Glen Rock Martin Luther King Jr. celebration began in 1983 in an effort to unite area residents, regardless of faith or ethnic background, in worship and action as they work towards peace and justice for all. More than 20 religious groups, local government and civic organizations participate in and support the event each year. For more information contact Alice Newton at 201-951-9903; email MLKgrrwd@gmail.com; or follow Martin Luther King, Jr. Committee of Glen Rock/Ridgewood, N.J. on Facebook.
The committee also is co-sponsoring “Going Deeper: Exploring African-American Experiences, Challenges and Contributions in Ridgewood and Vicinity,” which will be held on Tuesday, January 16 at 7 p.m. at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Ridgewood. The community is invited to join this important open dialogue led by Rev. Mack Brandon, Metropolitan AME Zion Church, and Rev. Lemuel Brown, Mt. Bethel Baptist Church. Rev. Dr. Ken Gill of Emmanuel Baptist Church will moderate the discussion, which will be preceded by a Community Pasta Dinner at 6 p.m. To reserve a seat at the dinner, please call 201-444-7300
Ridgewood NJ, on January 16th, the Village of Ridgewood Observed Martin Luther King day . Mayor Susan Kundsen was joined by Ridgewood Police Chief Jacqueline Luthcke.
The annual Ridgewood/Glen Rock Martin Luther King Jr. celebration began in 1983 in an effort to unite area residents, regardless of faith or ethnic background, in worship and action as they work towards peace and justice for all. More than 20 religious groups, local government, and civic organizations participate in and support the event each year.
Noted Muslim scholar Imam Zaid Shakir will deliver remarks addressing the theme, “Together in Hope,” as The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Committee of Ridgewood and Glen Rock marks the 35th year of its annual celebration of Dr. King’s life and legacy.
The Ridgewood Police swept the area and security was tight. Resident Boyd Loving captured the well attended event with photos.
