Manchester Schools Set 53rd Annual Martin Luther King Jr Tribute

MANCHESTER, NJ — In the months after Martin Luther King Jr. was killed in a motel room in Memphis, Tennesee, in April 1968, millions mourned the civil rights leader's death. Memorial events were created around the country, including in Manchester.

That first memorial event in Manchester wasn't a singular occurrence; it became an annual celebration of King's life and legacy well before the federal government made his birthday a national holiday in 1983.

On Friday, the Manchester Township Schools will host their 53rd tribute concert and ceremony to honor King. It's something even the pandemic couldn't completely curtail; in 2021 the district created a video tribute that included speeches from Queen Cannon, who founded the Manchester Schools Gospel Chorus and from teachers and district staff who have continued the tribute program all these years. You can watch the 45-minute tribute below.

Superintendent David Trethaway said it is important to keep the tribute going, to keep King's messages alive.

"Although he made his 'I Have A Dream' speech back in 1963, his words are just as important today as back then, maybe even more critical today," Trethaway said in the 2021 video. "His words, his actions, his beliefs, and what he stood for will never be out of date."

"This is why programs such as this are so important," he said. "It is up to all of us to pass his faith on to our children and our students."

The tribute and gospel chorus performance on Friday begins at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium at Manchester Township High School. The doors open at 6 p.m. and there will be vendors and displays.

Admission is $5; Manchester students get in free with a school ID or proof of student status.

The Manchester Township will pay tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The concert likely will pay tribute in person to Selena Bullock, who died in October 2020. She directed the gospel chorus for more than 20 years and was a paraprofessional at Whiting Elementary School. The video paid tribute as well.

The celebration — and make no mistake, the event is a celebration that will leave you feeling uplifted and inspired — annually includes not only the beautiful voices of the chorus but also includes inspirational speakers who can touch and move the most curmudgeonly of hearts with uplifting messages of hope, faith and kindness.

"We all need to begin to listen more to each other," Trethaway said, "for when we listen, we find out we have more in common than our differences. Only by listening, understanding, and respecting each other will we be able to make Dr. King's dream come true and live in a world where a person will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. This should be the dream of everyone."

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