Please join together for Brookline’s celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life and values on Monday, January 18, at 1 PM. This year, the Town’s event will be virtual, and you can access the premiere live on BrooklineHub.com and BIG’s online channels at http://brooklineinteractive.org/mlk or on BIG’s Community Channel 3 on RCN and Comcast. The recorded event will also be available to stream afterward.  

“Pursuing Social Justice”

This year’s program will feature a moderated conversation on “Philosophical Mentoring and the Impact of Words on a Generation.” The conversation is hosted by Nick Bates, the Assistant Director for Thurman Center Networks in the Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground. His work focuses on educating the community about Howard Thurman and overseeing strategic partnerships built on Thurman’s philosophy of Common Ground. The panelists for this conversation are Rev. Andrew E. Kimble and Jessica Hamilton.

Rev. Andrew E. Kimble is from Los Angeles, CA, and currently resides in Roxbury, MA. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Morehouse College in 2014. For the next two years, he worked for a top national law firm as a conflict analyst. In 2019, he graduated with a Master of Divinity from the Boston University School of Theology. Alongside his ministerial responsibilities at the historic Charles Street AME Church, Rev. Kimble is the assistant director of alumni and donor relations at the Boston University School of Theology. In his free time, he enjoys listening to jazz, talking with friends and strangers, running outdoors, and visiting the used book section in local bookstores.

Jessica Hamilton is a third-year master of divinity student on the Global and Community Engagement track at Boston University School of Theology. Her studies are focused on the intersection of public policy, ethics, and spirituality, and she is interested in understanding what bearing this intersection has on emerging conversations of social equity. In addition to her studies, Hamilton serves as a graduate assistant at BU’s Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground and was a 2019 recipient of the Rappaport Institute’s Public Policy Fellowship. Before seminary, she spent ten years working in health care policy. She is a Northeastern University graduate, where she received a bachelor’s degree in political science.

The program will also feature Brookline High School students and local college students discussing social justice and how this past year’s events have impacted them. This group conversation is hosted by Harvey Bravman, Filmmaker and creator of BrooklineHub.com and the Brookline Youth Awards. Included in this segment will be a Brookline Youth Award compilation video of students talking about their social justice initiatives over the years.

Students included in the Brookline Youth Award compilation include Richard Desir, Vishni Samaweera, Komal Wasif, Joshua Grossman, Vicka Ter Ovanesyan, Gavin Hui, Nahomi Brea Rivera, Caroline Cutlip, Donnaya Brown, Jackie Perelman, Lena Harris, and Saya Ameli Hajebi. Students participating in the group discussion include Chidera Osuji of the BU Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground and BHS students Kazi Stafford, Isis Contreras Perez, and Skye Kim.

Also featured will be music and inspirational words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

This event is free. For more information or any questions, please contact Caitlin Starr at cstarr@brooklinema.gov.

On MLK Day, you can also participate in a virtual Brookline Day of Service Project:

Inspo: Expo presents Engage! A Morning of Making a Difference with two hours of Zoom activism on MLK Day (1.18.21):

10-11 am: Virtual Crafting Circle. Bring your welcome blankets, mask-making, or other projects and meet neighboring craftivists to learn how to use your art for social change.

11-12 pm: Explore Brookline’s new Community Bill of Rights and Responsibilities. The Town has a new plan for Community Engagement. Inspo: Expo and the Commission on Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Relations invite you to share your input and feedback on issues you find important in the community and brainstorm with Town and community members to make the new Community Engagement plan a success!

To join the Zoom on January 18, click https://tinyurl.com/inspoexpo

Drop-in for a few minutes or stay the whole time! For more information, email inspoexpo.brookline@gmail.com.

OR

Click ON THIS LINK to see a list of Inspo: Expo partners who have remote (or low social contact) volunteer opportunities. If you scroll through and see something you’re interested in, email the organization directly through their listed contact info.

Lastly – test your knowledge of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with this month’s Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Relations Quiz! Take the quiz here: https://www.brooklinema.gov/1514/Community-Quiz