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January 11, 2006

Mayor cites importance of Dr. King’s legacy in today’s America

James Harris , President of the New Jersey State Conference of NAACP, will speak at the Woodbridge Township Interfaith Salute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Mayor Frank G. Pelzman has announced.

“The Dream Continues” celebrates the memory and legacy of Dr. King. The admission-free event takes place Saturday, January 14 at 2 p.m. at the First Baptist Church of Woodbridge at 130 Sewaren Avenue in Sewaren.

“Dr. King’s work in the Civil Rights movement shaped our nation’s conscience and destiny,” says Mayor Pelzman. “His insistence on the need for social and economic justice for all Americans has as much relevance today as it did nearly four decades ago. I encourage everyone to join us for our annual tribute to a great American.”

Dr. King’s birthday is January 15 and was declared a national holiday in 1983. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 and was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1968, at age 39.

Mr. Harris is Associate Dean for Student Development at Montclair State University and recipient of the 2004 Thurgood Marshall Award.

The salute to Dr. King also features an address by Rev. William Rutherford, pastor of Greater New Point Baptist Church of Irvington and past president of the New Jersey State Conference of NAACP.

Musical entertainment will include the First Baptist Church Anniversary Choir under the direction of Robert Arrington, keyboardist and arranger.

“Dr. King’s message resonates even more strongly with each passing year,” says Rev. Neva Lawson, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Woodbridge. “The lessons of tolerance and equality that he taught are timeless.”