Community Leaders Come Together to Celebrate Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Legacy
Abington, PA- Abington Township Board of Commissioners held its 34th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Service event on January 21, 2019. The event hosted at Abington Senior High School, brought together elected officials, community leaders, students and residents to reflect on the message of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his call for justice, cooperation and understanding of all people.
The event included remarks by Congresswoman Madeleine Dean, State Senator Art Haywood’s office, State Representative Benjamin Sanchez, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, Montgomery County Commissioner Chair Dr. Valerie Arkoosh and Montgomery County Commissioner Vice- Chair Kenneth Lawrence. The remarks were united in their call to end discrimination and injustices against all people and a commitment to work towards a more just and fair tomorrow both socially and economically. Remarks were followed by beautiful tributes from Abington School District’s, Rydal Elementary School, Overlook Elementary School and Abington Junior High School, who did musical performances and reflections in honor of King’s life.
The event also included musical performances by Salem Baptist Church, the “No Place for Hate Pledge” led by Mrs. Shirley Dennis and Deputy Chief, Kelley Warner of the Abington Police Department, benediction by McKinley Memorial Baptist Church and recognition of two outstanding award recipients and Abington Township natives, Honorable Kelley B. Hodge, Esq. and Mr. Bernard Griggs, Jr.
The Honorable Kelley B. Hodge, Esq. received the 34th Annual Memorial Award for her promotion of harmony, cooperation and understanding throughout the community. Introduced by Cheltenham Treasurer, Napoleon Nelson, Ms. Hodge was the first African American woman to serve as District Attorney in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the City of Philadelphia. She has worked to improve communities near and far through her efforts as a Title IX coordinator for the University of Virginia, appointment as a Safe School Advocate under former Governor Tom Corbett, and her important work at the District Attorney’s Office in Philadelphia. Her keynote speech emphasized the importance of believing in yourself and one another, justice, perseverance, and love.
The Special Recognition Award recipient was Mr. Bernard Griggs, Jr., for his work on economic equality as a business representative for the Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council, AFL- CIO. In this capacity, Mr. Griggs represents over 80,000 union workers of all backgrounds to ensure that they receive just and fair compensation regardless of gender, nationality, race, religion, etc. He also sits and has served on several prestigious committees, task forces, etc. at the local, county and state level, where he has used his leadership to advance the ideals of Martin Luther King, Jr. This award was presented by Anthony Luker, Education Outreach Specialist for the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General.
The Memorial Service would not have been possible without the assistance of the School District, community leaders, elected officials and township staff. Next year’s 35thAnnual Memorial Service will be held on Monday, January 20, 2020 at 12:00 PM at the Abington Senior High School Auditorium.
To view the Memorial Service program: CLICK HERE
Click the underlined links below to watch:
