Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, celebrated on the third Monday in January, is a national holiday held in honor of King and his achievements in civil rights.
To remember King’s work, the Haddonfield Human Relations Commission, along with the Haddonfield Council of Churches, will host Haddonfield’s 6th Annual Commemoration & Peace Walk in celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Jan. 19 at 7 p.m. outside Borough Hall. Residents are asked to bring a flashlight or candle, as it is a candlelight walk.
“It is important to remember Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy is about struggle and social justice. The walk is about service and people’s struggle to achieve better racial relations in our country. It is a visual statement expressing people’s solidarity with those who struggle for social justice and the hope that we will come together as a nation,” said Carl Maugeri, chair of the Haddonfield Human Relations Commission.
On the night of Jan. 19, residents are asked to gather at the Borough Hall front steps for remarks from Maugeri, the Haddonfield Council of Churches, Haddonfield commissioners and invited guests. Haddonfield Memorial High School choirs will be there to perform as well.
The Peace Walk will commence immediately after remarks. Led by the Boy Scouts, the walk will proceed west on Kings Highway, crossing at the light on Tanner Street and head back east on Kings Highway to the starting point. Parking is available behind Borough Hall and on Kings Highway.
“I think people standing together and walking together is a very powerful message to all members of the community. The Martin Luther King, Jr. legacy is important and needs to be renewed each year and has to be carried through the year, not just one day,” Maugeri said. “It is a way of relating to each other, thinking about social justice. We have a long way to go. These visible signs from the community can be helpful.”
Upon completion of the Peace Walk, there will be a few words from speakers and light refreshments served at Borough Hall.
“Each year we’ve done this, it has been a wonderful community of people. Everyone gets caught up in the experience of something really good,” Maugeri said.
Some educational establishments mark the day by teaching their students about the work of Martin Luther King Jr. and the struggle against racial segregation and racism. In recent years, Americans have been encouraged to give some of their time on this day as volunteers. For example, students at Haddonfield Memorial High School will have the opportunity to spend the day volunteering at various venues. Some 200 students will partake in a range of volunteer opportunities on that day, according to HMHS Principal Chuck Klaus.
“There are a lot of service activities that day, and this is just another way of making the day a rich experience for people. This kind of experience can be especially meaningful, especially after a day of service projects and with members of the community,” Maugeri said.
The Haddonfield Human Relations Commission is an important part in having a responsive government, Maugeri said. Though still in the works, according to Maugeri, there are thoughts of starting a group for community conversations with a range of topics to talk more about civility and help talk through different divides.
The Human Relations Commission will also give out its Alvin R. Showmer award, named after the first chairman of the commission, which acknowledges a high school and middle school student who have recognized civil service in the community. With a human relations focus, students who stand against prejudice, bigotry and intolerance in some way are recognized. Teachers and other members of the community can nominate a student later in the spring.
