Martin Luther King Day will be celebrated in Lakewood on Saturday, January 11th with a Beloved Community Welcome Walk. Kicked off by a Keynote Speech from Dr. John Scott at 11 am, the day’s activities at Fort Steilacoom Park will include a 1 mile walk on the paved loop, food trucks, a DJ with dancing and more from noon to 3 pm.
In addition, on Monday January 13th the City of Lakewood invites the community to attend an MLK Art Reception featuring the work of Rodney King at City Hall from 5-7 pm. The reception will include jazz music, spoken word and light refreshments.
According to Dr. Scott, “I’ll be inviting the audience to envision and practice what Beloved Community means to them, both in theory and practice. Three follow-up workshops will be facilitated by Dr. Scott on Feb. 22, March 22, and April 19 from 10am-2pm. These Beloved Community workshops will be a ‘call to action’ for attendees to create and sustain more Beloved Communities from within their systems, neighborhoods, and community work.
Dr. Scott’s experience with Beloved Community began over twenty years ago when he was working with Dr. Vincent Harding, a speech writer for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and a major part of the civil rights movement. “I remember Dr. Harding saying to me, ‘Brother John, it is not about you, it is about the community. If called the answer will always be yes.’” recalled Dr. Scott.
At its core, Beloved Community is a belief that we can build a community in which everyone is cared for, absent of racism, hate, poverty, and hunger. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. popularized the term during his lifetime of activism.
“There is a belief that compassion will ripple out and grow globally, impacting ecology, class, and healing through multi-generational smaller groups amplifying humanity,” said Scott. Through his teaching, speeches and lifetime of work, Dr. Scott hopes to continue to organize groups to put this philosophy of Beloved Community into integrated practice.
Workshops are free, and space limited. They are geared toward those who have the ability to implement the traits of Beloved Community in their communities.
Celebration for Dr. MLK Jr.
cityoflakewood.us/mlk-day
BY LYNN CASTLE