Edited MARJDI press announcement
MANISTEE – On Monday, Jan. 19, which is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a free community meal, documentary film and stories will celebrate the birthday of the civil rights leader and activist who advocated nonviolent resistance against discrimination in the era of Jim Crow.
Both the meal and the film are hosted by MARJDI (Manistee Area Racial Justice and Diversity Initiative) and will take place at the First Congregational Church of Manistee, 412 Fourth St.
A dinner of ham, macaroni and cheese, vegan chili and salad will be served 5-6:30 p.m. Following the meal, George Bayard III, director and curator of the Grand Rapids African American Museum and Archives, will present the film and stories, beginning at 7 p.m.
The film follows a Michigan woman who participated in the August 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. It was during this march that MLK Jr. gave his “I Have A Dream” speech to more than 200,000 gathered at the capital. According to the Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University, the stated goal of the march was to pressure the government into passing “a comprehensive civil rights bill.” The march, in large part, led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Bayard, an appraiser, will share stories and his personal collection of MLK Jr. memorabilia. Others are invited to share their stories or readings and bring their MLK Jr.-related historical artifacts for Bayard to appraise.
MARJDI is a fiscally sponsored program of the Manistee County Community Foundation. For more information about the organization, visit https://marjdi.org.
