City of Cambridge, MA

01/08/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/08/2025 10:47

Annual Martin Luther King Day Commemoration Features Rev. Jeremy Battle, plus Poetry, Music, and Coffee Hour

On Monday January 20, 2025, all are invited to remember and celebrate the life and work of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the City of Cambridge's annual Martin Luther King Day Commemoration and Remembrance, organized by the Cambridge Peace Commission.

The Commemoration will take place beginning at 11:00 AM At St. Peter's Episcopal Church, 838 Massachusetts Ave., in Central Square, Cambridge. This year's program will include greetings from Mayor E. Denise Simmons, original poetry from Jean Dany Joachim, former Poet Populist for Cambridge, and remarks by Rev. Jeremy Battle.

  • 11:00AM to 12:45 PM: Celebration of Dr. King's Life and Work for Peace, Justice, and Transformation
  • 12:45 PM to 1:45 PM: Informal Social hour with coffee, tea, and pastries in the undercroft (basement) at St. Peter's

In 1967, Martin Luther King described what he saw as the most serious challenge for our society. In his words, "We must rapidly begin the shift from a thing-oriented society to a person-oriented society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights, are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered." Nearly sixty years later, the United States still faces these three existential challenges to our values as a nation.

The City of Cambridge will honor and remember Dr. King and his legacy, as we gather at St. Peter's Episcopal Church to hear members of the Cambridge Community share readings of Dr. King's words calling for peace, justice, and transformation, as well as musical contributions from local choirs and original poetry from Jean Dany Joachim, Cambridges former Poet Populist.

The program is free, open to all, and wheelchair accessible. More information is available at www.cambridgema.gov/peacecommission.

For directions to St. Peter's Episcopal Church, located in Central Square at 838 Massachusetts Ave. at the corner of Sellers St., please, visit www.saintpeterscambridge.org/map-mbta-directions.