“Free, free at last” -- MLK Celebration Jan. 19

Storyteller Tammy Denease, the Janelle Gilchrist Dance Troupe, student music, art and poetry will be featured at the 20th anniversary celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr., Jan. 19 at the Stoneham High School Auditorium. The 1 p.m. program, will be held on the Sunday before the national holiday

Expressing the theme, “Free, free at last,” Tammy Denease will present as Elizabeth ‘Mumbet’ Freeman, the first enslaved person in Massachusetts to successfully sue for her freedom in 1781.

The court decision, upheld in 1783, led to the end of bondage for about 5,000 enslaved persons in the Bay State.

At the afternoon program, Stoneham students will perform music, read poetry and display their art, linking to the theme of freedom and justice for all.

Also performing will be the Janelle Gilchrist Dance Troupe, in a dance choreographed to the music of an African-American composer.

On Saturday, Jan. 18, the Boy Scouts Troop 513 will prepare a hearty breakfast for the community at the Senior Center. The Stoneham Chorale will provide music, and opening prayer and remarks will be made by the Rev. Calvin W. Fergins, Jr., pastor of the First Baptist Church in Stoneham.

Both events are free and open to all. They are supported in part by a grant from the Stoneham Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

The Sunday, Jan. 19, program is a co-presentation of the Stoneham MLK Circle and Stoneham Schools. Sponsors include several Stoneham organizations, including the Boys & Girls Club, the Public Library, the Historical Society and Museum, the Human Rights Commission, the Senior Center and Boy Scouts Troop 513.