Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Breakfast

Watertown will celebrate its twelfth Unity Breakfast on Monday, January 16, 2012.  The event brings  together hundreds of people, representing Watertown’s diverse population, to remember Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the man who devoted his life to ending prejudice and racism in our country. The Unity Breakfast has become a Watertown tradition. This year’s program will focus on the legacy of slavery in New England, will include two local musical groups, essays by middle and high school students on the meaning of the day, and the annual Unity Award,  presented to an individual or institution that has demonstrated outstanding community service.

James DeWolfe Perry is the keynote speaker at this year’s breakfast.  He is the Executive Director of the Tracing Center on Histories and Legacies of Slavery, based in Watertown.  In 2008, PBS aired a documentary entitled Traces of the Trade, A Story From the Deep North,   about the legacy of the northern U.S. role in slavery and the slave trade.  Mr. Perry was nominated for an Emmy Award for his role as a  principal historical consultant for the documentary.  He has spoken across the nation and abroad about his family’s, and the nation’s, historic role in slavery, and he has facilitated discussions about the legacy of slavery and race at high schools and universities as well as with corporate, educational, religious and community groups.

Music this year will once again be provided by two choruses: The Greater Boston Intergenerational Chorus and Chosen Voices of Harmony.  The Greater Boston Intergenerational Chorus, under the direction of Joanne Hammil, is a diverse and lively group of performers of all ages who sing an eclectic mix of music.  Chosen Voices of Harmony, under the direction of Sylvester Hill, sing and share together the love of Southern Gospel music.

The Unity Breakfast, sponsored by the World in Watertown in collaboration with Survival Education Fund, Inc. and Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice and the Environment, will be held on Monday, January 16, 2012 at 9:00 a.m. at the Hellenic Cultural Center, 25 Bigelow Avenue, Watertown.  Child care will be provided for pre-schoolers. The Hellenic Cultural Center is handicap accessible. Tickets at the door are $10.00 (children 12 and under free).  For reservations call 617-924-6143 or e-mail fpwatertown@comcast.net by January 9.