30th annual dr. martin luther king, jr. birthday celebration · possess many of his qualities and...

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30th ANNUAL DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. January 20, 2019 First Church Media Birthday Celebration Guest Speaker: Anita Friday and introducing the 2019 Spirit Award Winners COMMEMORATIVE BOOKLET

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Page 1: 30th ANNUAL DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. Birthday Celebration · possess many of his qualities and were chosen by the community. Each year, two to three more Americans who have lived

30th ANNUALDR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

January 20, 2019 • First Church MediaBirthday Celebration

Guest Speaker: Anita Fridayand introducing the 2019 Spirit Award Winners

COMMEMORATIVE B OOKLET

Page 2: 30th ANNUAL DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. Birthday Celebration · possess many of his qualities and were chosen by the community. Each year, two to three more Americans who have lived

Media Fellowship House is excitedto welcome you to the 30th Annual

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.Birthday Celebration.

Each year, Media Fellowship House workswith area congregations, schools,

organizations and individuals to create acommunity celebration in honor of this

American icon. Together, it is our goal toremember Dr. King’s work and mission, and

to examine how they relate to ourcommunity, nation and world today. We are

happy you have chosen to join us incelebrating this important day!

And a “Big Thank You”to CCRES Educational and Behavioral Health Services

for your generous grant which supports today’s event!

Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing

Lift every voice and sing, Till earth and heaven ring,

Ring with the harmony of liberty.

Let our rejoicing rise, High as the listening skies:

Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.

Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us.

Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us:

Facing the rising sun Of our new day begun,

Let us march on, tell victory is won.

~~~

Stony the road we trod, Bitter the chastening rod,

Felt in the days when hope unborn had died:

Yet, with a steady beat, Have not our weary feet

Come to the place for which our parents sighed?

We have come over a way that with tears has been watered;

We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered.

Out from the gloomy past, Till now we stand at last

Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.

~~~

God of our weary years, God of our silent tears,

Thou who hast brought us thus far on the way;

Thou who hast by thy might Led us into the light:

Keep us forever in the path, we pray.

Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met thee;

Lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, we forget thee;

Shadowed beneath thy hand May we forever stand,

True to our God, true to our native land.

Page 3: 30th ANNUAL DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. Birthday Celebration · possess many of his qualities and were chosen by the community. Each year, two to three more Americans who have lived

30th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration

PreludeBIMAS

(Beth Israel Music Appreciation Society)

“Lift Every Voice and Sing”Led by the Delco Mass Choir

Audience Participation

WelcomeRobin Otto

President, Media Fellowship House Board of Directors James Mason

President, Media Branch NAACP

InvocationLaurie Ann Rookard

Reverend, First Church Media

Community WelcomeRobert McMahon

Mayor of Media

Musical PresentationDelco Mass Choir

Director, Edith Moore

2019 Spirit Award WinnersGeorge Rothacker

A memory of Elinor Cadmanwritten by Bill Whitaker, read by Paul Patchel

Introduction of Keynote SpeakerIsabel Clark

Executive Director, Media Fellowship House

Keynote SpeakerAnita Friday

Musical PresentationPenncrest Chamber String Ensemble

“Nimrod”by Elgar

“Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral”by Wagner

BenedictionReverend Warren Mays

Second Baptist Church of Media

“We Shall Overcome”Audience Participation

Please join us in the lounge area for a reception sponsored by Media Area Branch NAACP.Media Fellowship House • 302 S. Jackson St., Media, PA 19063

Page 4: 30th ANNUAL DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. Birthday Celebration · possess many of his qualities and were chosen by the community. Each year, two to three more Americans who have lived

About the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Spirit Hall of Fame

Dr. Martin Luther King is known and beloved for his acts and deeds.His qualities were many and included:

Loyalty • Leadership • Integrity Honesty • Determination • Courage

There are many people in America, and in our own community, alive within the past 100 years who have possessed most or all of the qualities of Dr. King.

Media Fellowship House invited the community to nominate and vote online for individuals whom it believed were worthy of induction in a “Hall of Fame” guided by the “spirit” of Dr. King. Some of the nominees were national figures, some local icons, such as MFH founders Dorothy James and Marie Whitaker. Some of the people chosen for this inaugural year are well known, others less honored, but each possesses qualities the community believes warrants acknowledgement for his or her good works and great “spirit.”

In 2018, twelve were inducted into the “Hall of Fame” with three more to be added this year by popular vote. Hopefully, the “Spirit Hall of Fame” will serve as an inspiration for study and reflection, and bring a wider aidience to the understanding of Dr. King, his mission and his life.

About Our Keynote Speaker

Anita Friday

Anita Friday is a graduate of the University of

Pennsylvania and Georgetown University Law

Center who with her partner, a former prosecutor,

established the first African American male/female

partnered law firm in the State of Connecticut.

Throughout her career, Friday has served on numerous community boards,

worked with at-risk teen parents, took on responsibilities as a Human

Rights Commissioner for the City of Stamford, and organized a minority

parent’s association in the Stamford public schools system.

Anita is currently a member of the Anti-Racism Education Committee

for the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania, serves on the Trustee Board for

Easttown Library, and has created a multi-cultural curriculum for elemen-

tary students at a local private school.

Anita is the founder of Open Hearts…A Path for Racial Healing. The goal

of the organization is to build a bridge across the deep racial divide that

exists in America. To achieve her objectives, she has designed materials

for and facilitated groups who are engaged in Courageous Conversations

regarding issues of race and ethnicity. In addition, she has created a work-

shop entitled Racism Power Privilege Poisons and Promising Possibilities while

conducting forums, workshops, lectures and Town Hall conversations at

the various religious, community and educational institutions in the area

with regard to racial and criminal justice and prison reform..

Her topic for this year’s Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration is Suspicion…

Why and at What Cost?

Page 5: 30th ANNUAL DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. Birthday Celebration · possess many of his qualities and were chosen by the community. Each year, two to three more Americans who have lived

PAST INDUCTEES OF THE SPIRIT AWARD

DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. “SPIRIT” HALL OF FAME

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is known and beloved for his acts and deeds. His qualities were many and included:

Loyalty • Leadership • Integrity • Honesty • Determination • Courage

The 12 Americans inducted into the 2018 “Spirit Hall of Fame” possess many of his qualities and were chosen by the community. Each year, two to three more Americans who have lived within

the past 100 years will be added by the list to commemorate Dr. King’s memory.

Sponsored by the Media Fellowship House Media Fellowship House • 302 S. Jackson St., Media, PA 19063

Associate Justice of Supreme Court

Z

Wife, Mother and Social Reformer

Page 6: 30th ANNUAL DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. Birthday Celebration · possess many of his qualities and were chosen by the community. Each year, two to three more Americans who have lived

Often called “one of the most courageous persons the Civil Rights

Movement ever produced,” John Lewis has dedicated his life to protecting human rights, securing civil liberties, and building what he calls “The Beloved Community” in America. His dedication to the highest ethical standards and moral principles has won him the admiration of many of his colleagues on both sides of the aisle in the United States Congress.

As a student at Fisk University, John Lewis organized sit-in demonstrations at segregated lunch counters in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1961, he volunteered to participate in the Freedom Rides, which challenged segregation at interstate bus terminals across the South.

During the height of the Movement, from 1963 to 1966, Lewis was named Chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), which he helped form.

In 1964, John Lewis coordinated SNCC efforts to organize voter registration drives and community action programs during the Mississippi Freedom Summer. The following year, Lewis helped spearhead one of the most seminal moments of the Civil Rights Movement. Despite more than 40 arrests, physical attacks and serious injuries, John Lewis remained a devoted advocate of the philosophy of nonviolence.

In 1981, John was elected to the Atlanta City Council. While serving on the Council, he was an advocate for ethics in government and neighborhood pres-ervation. He was elected to Congress in November 1986 and has served as U.S. Representative of Georgia’s Fifth Congressional District since then. He is Senior Chief Deputy Whip for the Democratic Party in leadership in the House, a member of the House Ways & Means Committee, a member of its Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support, and Ranking Member of its Subcommittee on Oversight.

John Lewis is the recipient of numerous awards from eminent national and international institutions, including the highest civilian honor granted by President Barack Obama.

Elinor Phillips Cadman was born in Porter Township, Pennsylvania, and

graduated from Salem County College in North Carolina. She taught fifth grade at Media Elementary School for more than 30 years. Following her years of service, Elinor tutored students from her home in Media.

During her lifetime she was a on the Board of Trustees of Media-Upper Providence Free Library, secretary of Delaware County Institute for Science, a member of Media Fellowship House, the Media area NAACP and the Unitarian Universalist Church of Delaware County in Media.

Elinor was not only involved with many borough organizations, she is created with significant influence. She championed and instituted a drive to save the historic Minshall House, getting the school community behind the effort; contrib-uted time and money to “electrify the balcony of the 19th century Institute for Science building on Veterans Square. She also was instrumental in protecting the Media Theatre from destruction, and redirected $1000 she intended to redo her bathroom to a community campaign to save the theatre and became the initial donor to the fund.

In honor of her service to the community, Media Borough proclaimed April 25, 1996, Elinor Cadman Day, and in 2017, Elinor was added to Media’s Walk of Fame.

JOH

NLEWISCourageous Civil Rights Leader

THE SPIRIT OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. HALL OF FAME

EL

INO

R

CADMAN

THE SPIRIT OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. HALL OF FAME

Teacher, Mentor & Activist

2019 Spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Hall of Fame 2019 Spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Hall of Fame

Page 7: 30th ANNUAL DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. Birthday Celebration · possess many of his qualities and were chosen by the community. Each year, two to three more Americans who have lived

Bryan A. Stevenson, a graduate for Eastern University in Radnor, PA

and Harvard Law School is a lawyer, social justice activist, founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, and a clinical professor at New York University School of Law. Based in Montgomery, Alabama, Stevenson has challenged bias against the poor and minorities in the criminal justice system, especially children. He has helped achieve United States Supreme Court decisions that prohibit sentencing children under 18 to death or to life imprisonment without parole. Stevenson has assisted in cases that have saved dozens of prisoners from the death penalty, advocated for poor people, and developed community-based reform litigation aimed at improving the administration of criminal justice.

He initiated the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, which honors the names of each of the over 4,000 African Americans lynched in the twelve states of the South from 1877 to 1950. He argues that the history of slavery and lynchings has influenced the subsequent high rate of death sentences in the South, where it has been disproportionately applied to minorities.

Stevenson wrote the critically acclaimed memoir Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption in 2014. The book selected by Time magazine as one of the “10 Best Books of Nonfiction” for 2014, and was among the New York Times “100 Notable Books” for the year and received the 2015 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction.

Stevenson conducts an active public speaking schedule, in large part for fund raising for the work of EJI.

BR

YA

NSTEVENSONSocial Justice Activist

THE SPIRIT OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. HALL OF FAME

2019 Spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Hall of Fame Programs at Media Fellowship House

Join Us for Our Monthly Book Club!Each month our book-clubbers will read a novel or non-fiction work on wide-ranging topics that explore different people, different experiences, and different perspectives. Everyone is welcome, and you can join at any time! Fellowship House Book Club will meet the 3rd Tuesday of every month at 7:00 pm.

Film SpeaksAn MFH exclusive, Film Speaks is a series of moving and provocative films from our area and around the country by renowned and emerging film makers. Topics concern race, class, politics, redemption and the arts, and viewings are followed by Q&A discussions. The viewings are “free of charge”, but capacity is limited. So please sign up ahead to reserve your place for each film you plan to attend.

Media Fellowship House

You�Coalition

MFH Youth CoalitionThe Media Fellowship House Youth Coalition provides local high school students a place to consider, discuss, and act on different issues facing our local communi-ties, country, and world. Topics may include, but

are definitely not limited to, current events, the LGBTQ community, minority religions, marginalized groups, and women.

The Youth Coalition meets monthly on Saturday afternoons over lunch (provided by Media Fellowship House). At the monthly meetings, the group discusses topics as a broad group and smaller groups as well. In addition to discussion meetings, the Youth Coalition aspires to become an activist group that attends different events (such as marches or visits with other youth organizations) and fundraises for groups and causes that need its help.

First Time Home Buyers ProgramThe purpose of the First Time Home Buyers Program is to provide assistance to qualified low and moderate-income families interested in purchasing their first home. The Program provides financial assistance toward the down payment and with the closing costs associated with home purchase.

Page 8: 30th ANNUAL DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. Birthday Celebration · possess many of his qualities and were chosen by the community. Each year, two to three more Americans who have lived

Thank you for attending and supporting

Media Fellowship House

from the MFH Board of Directors.

Thank you to Media Fellowship House

for its annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration.

110 West Front St. • P.O. Box 199 • Media, PA 19063 • Phone: 610.565.7520

Frank Daly, Esq. & associatEs

Help Build a Community Free of InjusticeJoin the Media Fellowship House

Visit us online at MediaFellowshipHouse.organd sign up as a member in an organization

that has been promoting fellowship andunderstanding between individuals of all

ethnic and cultural backgrounds since 1944.

Help Build a Community Free of Injustice

Join the Media Fellowship House

Visit us online at MediaFellowshipHouse.org and sign up as a member

in an organization that has been promoting fellowship and understanding

between individuals of all ethnic and cultural backgrounds since 1944.

Thank you CCRES for all your support!

Page 9: 30th ANNUAL DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. Birthday Celebration · possess many of his qualities and were chosen by the community. Each year, two to three more Americans who have lived

Join us for the 2nd in the Media Fellowship House Film Speaks Series

Sunday, January 27, 5:00 pmMedia Fellowship House

Filmed for nearly a decade, QUEST is the moving portrait of the Rainey family living in North Phila-delphia. Beginning at the dawn of the Obama presidency, Christopher “Quest” Rainey, and his wife, Christine’a “Ma Quest” raise a family while nurturing a community of hip-hop artists in their home music studio. It’s a safe space where all are welcome, but this creative sanctuary can’t always shield them from the strife that grips their neighborhood. A vivid illumination of race and class in America, and a testament to love, healing, and hope.

Q&A with producer Sabrina S. Gordon and members of the Rainey family following the screening.

Film Speaks

Screenings & Discussion

An MFH exclusive, Film Speaks is a series ofmoving and provocative films from our area andaround the country by renowned and emergingfilm makers. Topic concern race, class, politics,redemtion and the arts, and viewings arefollowed by Q&A discussions.

302 S. Jackson Street, Media, Pennsylvania 19063

For more information on the Film Speaks series, visit www.mediafellowshiphouse.org,or call Isabel Clark, Executive Director at 610-565-0434