Editor’s note: This is a running list of events commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. If you have one to share with us, please email Community Editor Julie Harris at jharris@bangordailynews.com.
BANGOR — All Souls Congregational Church will hold an ecumenical/interfaith service 4-5:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 20, at 10 Broadway, in celebration of the life and witness of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Participants will include more than a dozen faith leaders, the City Council chairwomen of both Bangor and Brewer, and Rep. Craig Hickman as guest speaker. Open to all. Hickman is an organic farmer, small-business owner, chef, poet and author, serving his fourth term in the Legislature. He is House chair of the Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee, House chair of the Citizen Trade Policy Commission, and serves on the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee. Hickman is a National Poetry Slam champion, recipient of the James Baldwin Award for Cultural Achievement, and recipient of a Spirit of America Foundation Award for Community Service. Hickman is the first openly gay African-American in history to serve in the Maine House of Representatives. He and his spouse, Jop Blom, live in Winthrop, where they own and operate Annabessacook Farm, a sustainable farm raising organic produce, dairy and livestock. They also host the Winthrop Community Gardens and a fresh food bank for anyone in need. Due to the impending snow storm, this event may be postponed. Updates will be posted on All Souls Congregational Church’s Facebook page.
BAR HARBOR — A march through Bar Harbor in celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s legacy of peace and social justice will begin at 11 a.m. Monday, Jan. 21, at YWCA MDI, 36 Mount Desert St. Participants of all ages are encouraged to bring banners and signs. The march concludes on the village green with a recitation of King’s iconic speech delivered by the Conners Emerson School Civil Rights Team. Marchers will return to the YWCA at noon for light refreshments and opportunities to pledge volunteer time for island nonprofits. Guest speaker Walter Seward will offer a short presentation about his personal connections to King and the civil rights movement. Presented by YWCA MDI and the MDI Martin Luther King Jr. Day Committee. Information available at 288-5008.
BATH — A Martin Luther King Jr. walk and activities will begin at 10 a.m. Monday, Jan. 21, at Bath Visitor Center, 15 Commercial St. There will be a symbolic walk over the bridge with Morse High School’s School Community Liaison Council, then return to the visitor’s center, where refreshments will be served and King’s “I Have a Dream” speech will be viewed.
BELFAST — The 30th annual Martin Luther King Candlelight Walk and community gathering will be held on Monday, Jan. 21. The candlelight walk will start at 4:30 p.m. from the Belfast Post Office and proceed to the First Church on Spring Street for a gathering with music, readings from MLK’s dedicated work, and commemoration of past and current struggles for racial justice. Keynote speaker will be Kirsten Daley, a 2018 graduate of the University of Maine, who is a dedicated activist in anti racist organizing and building community to fight larger systems of inequality. Daley was the president of the UMaine Black Student Union, public relations chair of both the Student Women’s Association and the Student Alliance for Sexual Health, and was public relations, social media and event coordinator for the UMaine Office of Multicultural Student Life. She is also an active member of the YWOC for Reproductive Freedom Network. Sponsored by the MLK Peace and Justice Committee. More information available from Meredith Bruskin 338-5089.
BIDDEFORD — “Freedom is a Constant Struggle” with presenter Angela Davis in recognition of the 32nd annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration, noon-2 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 23, 11 Hills Beach Road, Harold Alfond Sports Forum, University of New England, Biddeford campus. This event will be simulcast to Portland Campus, and a light lunch will be served. Lunch at noon and talk at 12:30 p.m. Davis is the author of nine books and has lectured throughout the United States, as well as in Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and South America. In recent years a persistent theme of her work has been the range of social problems associated with incarceration and the generalized criminalization of those communities that are most affected by poverty and racial discrimination. She draws upon her own experiences in the early 1970s as a person who spent 18 months in jail and on trial, after being placed on the FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted List.” Her most recent book is “Freedom is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement.” Visit une.edu for more information.
KENNEBUNK — Sixteenth annual Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast and Presentation. 9-11 a.m. Monday, Jan. 21, at the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church of Kennebunk, 114 Main Street. The Rev. Jeffrey M. McIlwain, pastor of the North Star AME Zion Church, Newington, New Hampshire, and chaplain of the Cumberland County Jail in Portland, will give the keynote talk. Tickets for the breakfast and program are $15 for adults and $5 for students. Tickets for just the program are $10 for adults, free for students. To pay by check, call 207 985-1411. Breakfast is limited to 112 reservations, while the program is limited to an additional 120 participants. For tickets, visit https://www.uukennebunk.org. For more information, call 207-370-9858 or jkilbourn1@gmail.com.
LEWISTON — Bates College MLK observance events, Sunday, Jan. 20-Wednesday, Jan. 23, Bates College, 2 Andrews Rd. The theme is “Lifting Every Voice: Intersectionality and Activism.” To see a full schedule of events, visit bates.edu/mlk.
ORONO — The 2019 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. breakfast celebration, co-sponsored by Greater Bangor Area NAACP and University of Maine Division of Student Life, will be held 8:30-10:30 a.m. Monday, Jan. 21, at Wells Conference Center on the UMaine campus. Doors will open at 8 a.m. The family-friendly event will celebrate King’s life and legacy, inspiration, dedication to diversity and social commitment. The breakfast celebration will feature food and music, and recognition of the recipient of the Dorothy Clarke Wilson Peace Writing Prize. Amy Sneirson, executive director of the Maine Human Rights Commission, will deliver the keynote address.
Tickets are $20; $15 for children ages 12 and younger; free for UMaine students with a valid MaineCard. Registration is available online; tickets also will be available at the door until they are sold out. For information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Robert Jackson at robert.jackson@maine.edu or 581-1437.
WATERVILLE — The Colby College Martin Luther King Jr. Day keynote address will be given by Joy DeGruy at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 23, at Cotter Union, Page Commons Room. As a scholar, educator and mental health professional, DeGruy is a major voice in important discussions about the lasting impact of enslavement on contemporary Americans, particularly African-Americans. She is the author of “Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome—America’s Legacy of Enduring Injury and Healing.” DeGruy will address Colby’s MLK Day theme of “Repairing the Breach.” Contact Lexie Mucci at ammucci@colby.edu or 207-859-4265 for more information.
WATERVILLE — Colby College will hold an MLK book read — “Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome” Reading Group — at noon Tuesday, Jan. 22, in Dana, 002 Meeting Room.
WATERVILLE — Colby College will hold The Passion Project: Activist Storytelling Workshop at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 25, at Pugh Center, Cotter Union. After a spirited and successful program last year, the Theater and Dance Department presents a brand-new evening of original, story-based performance about issues Colby students are most passionate about. Contact: Mandela Gardner at mgardner@colby.edu or 207-859-4520 for more details.
WESTBROOK—-To honor a man of service who challenged others to also be driven by giving, St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Westbrook will host a “Day of Service” 9-11 a.m. on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, Jan. 21, at the church, 268 Brown St., hosted by the church’s Social Justice and Peace Committee to help anyone who is disadvantaged and needs assistance. The event will include a pancake breakfast; haircuts, manicures, and massages; health screenings; and fun for children, including face painting, educational activities, and games. Everything is free for attendees. For information about the “Day of Service” or the Social Justice and Peace Committee, call the parish at 857-0490.
WINTHROP — Martin Luther King Day 2019 “Seeds of Justice: An Exploration of Ecological Interdependence” will be held 9-11 a.m. Monday, Jan. 21, Winthrop Congregational Church, 10 Bowdoin St., next to Kennebec Savings Bank. Featured will be an interactive Tu BiSh’vat seder to explore our place within Earth community; discussion by representatives of Poor People’s Campaign on King’s legacy with a focus on Earth justice; food during program. Arrive by 8:45 a.m. Program begins 9 a.m. sharp. Donations will benefit Poor People’s Campaign Maine. Sponsored by Winthrop Area Ministerial Association and Capital Area Multifaith Association. Visit bethelaugusta.org for more information.
