Lexington CommUNITY

19th Annual CommUNITY Commemoration Honoring the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Lexington to Host the 19th Annual CommUNITY Commemoration Honoring the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Sunday, January 15, 2012   1:30 – 4:00 pm

The CommUNITY Commemoration program will feature the award-winning film Come Walk in My Shoes, a documentary that follows U.S. Rep (D-GA) John Lewis on an emotional pilgrimage to the churches, parks and bridges where young people played a pivotal role in the struggle for equality and voting rights. At each location, Lewis reflects on his experiences and provides a forum for others – the “unsung heroes who cared deeply, sacrificed much, and fought hard for a better America” – to help us understand what happened, and why.

Congressman Lewis said of the experience: “No one wanted to be chased by dogs. No one wanted to be beaten or arrested. That was the price people paid to liberate the South. When young people tell me that nothing has changed, I say to them, “Come walk in my shoes!”  This moving documentary provides a fresh, first-person perspective on the non-violent protests that challenged segregation laws in the South and led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965.

 

The program is designed for students, parents and teachers as well as members of the Lexington community who wish to learn more about the impact that young people, in particular, had on the civil rights protests in the South in the 1960s. Also participating in the program will be the First Church of Belmont’s Minster Emeritus Rev. Victor Carpenter, one of the many members of the clergy inspired by Dr. King’s call to travel south to Selma and march for civil rights. He has published articles and reviews in a variety of news media magazines and journals and is the author of  the1982 Minns Lectures, The Black Empowerment Controversy and the Unitarian Universalist Association, and, Stations of Spirit, in 1990. At the conclusion of the film Rev. Carpenter will engage the audience in discussion.

The program will include musical selections by the Harrington School Chorus directed by Music Teacher Holly Stumpf. The CommUNITY Commemoration begins at 1:30 pm with the traditional CommUNITY Walk from the Lexington Battle Green to Cary Hall, 1605 Massachusetts Avenue.  The indoor program will begin promptly at 2:00 pm.  Participants are invited to join the walk and/or attend the program at Cary Hall, which is wheelchair accessible and will be open starting at 1:30pm.  Admission is free and all are welcome.  For further information contact Jill Smilow: jillsvoice@yahoo.com

Representative Jay R. Kaufman’s OPEN HOUSE: “A Conversation on Race”

Thursday, May 19^th from 7 – 9 PM: Depot Square, Lexington, MA

 This month’s edition of “OPEN HOUSE with Representative Jay Kaufman” will be a special two-hour look at “A Conversation About Race” and will be held from 7 to 9 PM in the historic Depot (13 Depot Square) in Lexington Center on Thursday, May 19^th. The program is free and open to the public. Depot Square is wheelchair accessible.

Civil War's dirty secret about slavery

James DeWolf Perry and Katrina Browne who appear in Browne's PBS documentary, "Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North." had an op-ed "Civil War's dirty secret about slavery" up at CNN.com on April 12th.

 If you are interested in the documentary and conversation with James and others, please check our Calender of Events!

 

CommUNITY Program Updates

***PLEASE NOTE DATES/HOST SITE CHANGES DUE TO WEATHER!

February 2011

Due to the inclement weather, the following adjustments have been made to the CommUNITY Calendar of Events in February. Please share this information as needed.

Tuesday, February 8^th from 7:00 -9:00 pm: “Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North”; Screening at Saint Brigid Parish, Kielty Hall, 2001 Massachusetts Avenue.

 

Please join CommUNITY, the Lexington Interfaith Clergy Association and St. Brigid's Parish for the next screening of "Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North,” the thought-provoking documentary about the Bristol, RI DeWolf Family's slave-trading past. The film explores historical aspects of colonial and early US involvement with "triangle trade" as it also raises issues of modern society.

This is the film trailer.

What is slavery's impact on race relations today? What are the aspects of privilege, and how do we address these issues and discuss our respective thoughts in our local communities? How does slavery tie into the wider topic of immigration reform and today's political and moral issues of our country's increasingly ethnic/cultural diversity?

 

Lexington Patch reports Martin Luther King, Jr. March

Here's the nice piece on Lexington Patch about our Sunday event.

 

Please visit LexingtonPatch site for the full text and photo gallery.

18th Annual CommUNITY Commemoration Report

18th Annual CommUnity Commemoration, we have viewed the film Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North.

This film chronicles a unique and disturbing journey into the history and legacy of the U.S. slave trade. The 90-minute documentary tracks what happens as filmmaker Katrina Browne comes to grips with the discovery that her New England ancestors, the Rhode Island based DeWolf family were the largest slave-trading family in U.S. history. Her film is a probing essay into divergent versions of a nation’s history.

This is the film trailer.

 

 

Lexington to Host the 18th Annual CommUNITY Commemoration

Honoring the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Sunday, January 16, 2011   1:30 – 4:00 pm

Lexington’s CommUNITY Committee is proud to host the Eighteenth Annual CommUNITY Commemoration honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Sunday, January 16^th, 2011 from 1:30 – 4:00 pm in Lexington, Massachusetts.  2011 marks the 25^th Anniversary of the first observance of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a federal holiday observed by all 50 states.

The CommUNITY Commemoration begins at 1:30 pm with the traditional Unity Walk from the Lexington Battle Green to Cary Hall, 1605 Massachusetts Avenue.  The indoor program will begin promptly at 2:00 pm.  Participants are invited to join the walk and/or attend the program at Cary Hall, which is wheelchair accessible and will be open starting at 1:30pm.  Admission is free and all are welcome.

The program on January 16^th will feature the film Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North. This film chronicles a unique and disturbing journey into the history and legacy of the U.S. slave trade. The 90-minute documentary tracks what happens as filmmaker Katrina Browne comes to grips with the discovery that her New England ancestors, the Rhode Island based DeWolf family were the largest slave-trading family in U.S. history. Her film is a probing essay into divergent versions of a nation’s history.

Candid and compelling, Traces of the Trade challenges viewers to ask themselves the same contentious questions that Browne and her family ask ”What is my family’s relationship to slavery? What does it mean to accept responsibility for the “living consequences” of slavery? What would it take to repair black/white relationships and to move beyond the guilt, defensiveness, anger, and fear that often separate and silence us? As a nation, how do we deal with what we inherited from our country’s history?

The DeWolf descendants’ journey is at once deeply personal and also indicative of much larger social struggles. As an outreach tool, the film offers powerful new perspectives on the black/white divide. It will provide an excellent springboard for dialogue around how the legacy of slavery influences the lives of Americans of all backgrounds and generations.

Please join us for this thought provoking program featuring Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North on January 16^th. This year’s Martin Luther King, Jr. CommUNITY Commemoration event will launch a series of forums and community conversations scheduled throughout the late winter and spring to explore issues of racism and the legacy of slavery in our country, our community and ourselves   Watch for more information.

This program was created by the CommUNITY Commemoration Planning Committee

with funding support from the Lexington Coalition for Racial Equality.

For more information about this event, please contact Jill Smilow; 781-424-8775 or www.jillsvoice@yahoo.com.

 

 

Please join us! Black History Month Special Film viewing & Discussion Program

The Lexington CommUNITY Group invites you to

a thought-provoking evening honoring Black History Month.

The program includes the award-winning documentary

Come Walk in My Shoes and an interactive discussion following.

 

Wednesday, March 3^rd, 2010

from 7:00 – 9:00 pm

Clark Hall at Hancock Church

1912 Massachusetts Avenue

Lexington, MA

 

Come Walk in My Shoes is an award-winning documentary that follows the Honorable John Lewis on an emotional pilgrimage to the churches, parks and bridges where young people played a pivotal role in the struggle for equality and voting rights. At each location, Lewis reflects on his experiences and provides a forum for others – the “unsung heroes who cared deeply, sacrificed much, and fought hard for a better America” – to help us understand what happened, and why.

 

“No one wanted to be chased by dogs. No one wanted to be beaten or arrested.
That was the price people paid to liberate the South.
When young people tell me that nothing has changed,

I say to them, “Come walk in my shoes!”
--- Congressman John R. Lewis (D-GA)

 

This award-winning documentary provides a fresh, first-person perspective on the non-violent protests that challenged segregation laws in the South and led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965.

Our program is designed for students, parents and teachers as well as members of the Lexington community who wish to learn more about the impact that young people, in particular, had on the civil rights protests in the South in the 1960s. At the conclusion of the film there will be a discussion and we’ll pose the question: “What choices does one makes at a time of crisis?” If you were actively involved in the Civil Rights movement and would like to share your story, please contact us.

For more information about the program, contact Jill Smilow, jillsvoice@yahoo.com.

 

Regie on LexMedia's documentary news show, "All Around Lexington."

Ms. Jackie Hai produced a great documentary video for LexMedia's documentary news show, "All Around Lexington."

Here's Ms. Hai's video featuring interviews with Regie O’Hare Gibson and Todd Brunel intercut with excerpts from their work, “Letter and Spirit: A Musical and Poetic Presentation of the Words and Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.” For more information, please visit Ms. Hai's blog, "Convergence Common".

Regie Gibson and Todd Brunel, on "Letter and Spirit" from Jackie Hai on Vimeo.