MLK Day 2016: Rockville Celebrates with Focus on Justice, Awards

From the City of Rockville:

ROCKVILLE, MD — Rockville’s 44th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration on Monday, Jan. 18, will include performances and awards recognizing Rockville community members who are carrying on King’s legacy.

The free celebration, at 10 a.m. at Richard Montgomery High School, 250 Richard Montgomery Drive, is free and open to all. A reception will follow.

The program will include diverse, interactive and multicultural performances and a keynote address by David Ragland focused on the theme of “Many Truths, One Community: Justice in the Age of Baltimore and Ferguson.”

Ragland, who grew up in North St. Louis, a few miles from Ferguson, Mo., is the cofounder of The Truth Telling Project in St. Louis and an assistant professor of peace and conflict studies at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pa. The Truth Telling Project is focused on developing a truth and reconciliation process to address structural violence and racism in Ferguson and beyond.

The program will honor the Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Award recipient and the F. Michael Taff Award recipient.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Award is given to a student from a Rockville high school who has worked to fulfill Dr. King’s dream. Find and submit the Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Award nomination form online.

The F. Michael Taff Award to a business, organization or adult that has helped to improve the lives of people with disabilities. Find and submit the F. Michael Taff Award nomination form online.

The public is invited to this free event and the reception that immediately follows. Displays of various organizations will be up in the hallway of the school with community representatives ready to let people know what they can do to volunteer throughout the year.

For more information, call 240-314-8316. For questions regarding accessibility, call 240-314-8108.