Dr. Martin Luther King Remembered in Seekonk Memorial Baptist Church

Sunlight shone brightly through the stained glass of on Monday afternoon onto those who gathered to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King (MLK) Jr. Memorial Committee of Greater Attleboro chose the Central Avenue church to host their 24th anniversary celebrating the inspirational leader. This January 17 was the first time the Seekonk congregation held the region-wide celebration.

 “All we had to do was to provide was a place and some type of organizational system,” said Memorial Baptist Church’s pastor Rev. Delphain Demosthenes, 36.

 Pastor Del., as he’s referred to, began the service in front of an interracial group of 90 after a group of parishioners marched down the isles carrying picket signs.

The Haitian pastor also opened the doors of his predominantly white congregation to local religious leaders including Abdul Samma of the Islamic Center of New England. 

Songs were belted out by the church’s Chaminade Singers and St. Mary’s Choir. Ethel Garvin, chairperson of the memorial committee, introduced the keynote speaker Edward Cardoza of Partners in Health. 

 The non-profit organization which works heavily with Haiti to provide medical care partnered with the church and committee to express their commemorative event Hope in Action: Dr. King’s Blueprint for Change. 

 “Movement of social justice is not simply about class nor race, but rather the profound recognition of moral and social responsibility to the person who is the most destitute. . .to bring them up to a position of brotherhood. . .Hope is the moment when we recognize that there’s a voice that calls out for service to others. . .As surely as we stand on the shoulders of giants like Dr. King. . . [we must make] the division of “us” and “them” disappear. We must not fall into despair,” said Cardoza in his speech which used Haiti’s plight as an example of the call to arms which Dr. King charged for in 1963.

 Following the keynote speech, a donation was made to the Attleboro Area of Churches Food and Friends Program.

Garvin recognized three of the four youths who won the Hope In Action poster contest, Jordan Tillinghast, 13, of North Attleboro Middle School, Jessica Perkoski and Jarrett Jordan.

"[There's] a little public embarrassment because that’s how we do you here,” said Garvin recognizing the youths.

Recognition was also given to Daniel. H. Powell, the winner of the committee’s $1,000 W. Duane Lockard Scholarship Competition.