Arlington County Government, VA Newsmakers, 27 Jan 2012

Previous Meeting Next Meeting

⏯

youtube image

►

From YouTube: NewsMakers: Arlington's 43rd Martin Luther King Celebration

Description

On January 15 2012, Arlington VA celebrated it's 43rd tribute to the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. Wilmer Leon was the keynote speaker and performers included Larry Bland and the Volunteer Choir and the Urban Artistry Dance troup.

A

Welcome to this edition of newsmakers on january 15th, arlington celebrated its 43rd annual tribute to dr martin luther king jr, the performance included, larry bland and the volunteer gospel choir, the urban artistry dance troupe and the keynote speaker, dr wilmer leon, county board chair mary hines, welcome the audience.

B

Well, good evening, arlington, it is truly a pleasure to be with you here with you tonight to honor the work and the legacy of dr martin luther king. It's hard to believe that it was 43 years ago that we started doing this celebration commemoration it's an important part of who we are.

B

I think dr king felt called to the work he did. His words were intended when I was a girl to call us to work for justice, for peace and for equality. He died for his commitment to those ideals, but the power of his words has not yet diminished in our community or in our country.

B

I think we're all called to work for these things, for justice, for peace and for equality. It is what will make our world a better place for those of us now for our children and our grandchildren.

C

C

D

All too often, dr king, the dreamer, is taken out of the historical context with when within which he developed the 1955 montgomery bus boycott the founding of the sclc. The civil rights movement did not develop or exist in a vacuum.

D

Dr king and these events are part of a historical continuum that began in the august of 1619 when those first 20 and some odd african indentured servants disembarked from that dutch man of war in jamestown virginia, and that oppression continues to this day.

E

B

In 1969 about eight or nine months after martin luther king was assassinated, arlington had held one of the very first birthday celebrations for dr king, so for 43 years we've been doing this to commemorate and to celebrate. I think the legacy that's come from dr king. So it's really important for us to remember.

F

The inspiration that martin luther king has provided for people of all walks of life to struggle for a civil liberties for justice or fairness or social and economic justice live on today. I think that his struggle and inspiration that he uh vested upon so many that work alongside him like cesar chavez and many other great civil rights leaders and- and it is a tremendous inspiration for all of us for any anyone from any part from around the world. Our country leads the way and all around the world also pay attention.

A

That's it for this edition of newsmakers. Please join us again next time.