Brookline's Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Committee celebrated the life and values of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on January 17, 2022. This year the event was virtual. This year's event was generously sponsored by the Brookline Community Foundation, the Brookline Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Relations, as well as a generous donation of production work from the team at Brookline Interactive Group (BIG).
"Our Voting Rights: The Struggle Continues "
This year's program featured Professor Robert L. Tsai as the Keynote Speaker. Robert L. Tsai is Professor of Law at Boston University and an expert in constitutional law and history. He reminded us of Dr. King’s focus on voting rights and challenged us to keep up the effort. Professor Robert L. Tsai is the author of three books, including Practical Equality: Forging Justice in a Divided Nation (Norton 2020). He has appeared on Meet the Press, Morning Joe, and ABC News and his essays can be found in New York Review of Books, Politico, Washington Post, and Boston Globe. You can learn more about Professor Robert L. Tsai at http://roberttsai.com/bio/
The program also featured an original poetry performance of "Assume the Position" from Literary Performer and Author, Regie Gibson, and a poetry reading from Brookline Poet Laureate, Jennifer C. Barber, as well as a video compilation of Remote Learning Academy students reading their winning submissions of a collaborative contest held in March 2020. Rabbi William Hamilton from Congregation Kehillath Israel described the special Brookline history of Dr. King and Rabbi Abraham Heschel and Representative Jake Achincloss ended the program with an update on Voting Rights legislation.