“And so even through we face difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. I have a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.” – MLK, Jr. 

“We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” – MLK, Jr.

From USA Today “There is the handwritten draft, complete with cross-outs, of Martin Luther King‘s acceptance speech for the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize. There are the notes about the ending of King’s iconic I Have a Dream speech. And there are the charming letters he received from children. These and other King papers — 200,000 documents in all — will be available online for the first time today, as the nation marks Martin Luther King Day.” Read the full article and visit the archive online here http://goo.gl/iJ0WI

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” – MLK, Jr.

Former Worcester Mayor Joseph O’Brien says “As we reflect today on the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, we should take a few minutes to reflect both on the what has been accomplished and on the work still to be done. We have much to celebrate, but also need to recognize that the we need to continue working together to address inequality and intolerance in our country. Today, too many people are still left behind in our schools, workforce and in our communities in general. Good piece by Paul Krugman in the NY Times on income inequality that is worth reading…” Read the column he references here http://goo.gl/HR4P8.

The NY Times Nick Kristof says “We honor Martin Luther King Jr. today, and remember him primarily as a civil rights leader. But he was also a brilliant thinker, strategist and tactician. Just as King borrowed from Gandhi, so smart protest leaders are borrowing from King and applying lessons in the Arab world, in the occupied Palestinian territories, in China and in Russia. Do you share that sense of King’s relevance to protest movements today?” See the discussion here http://goo.gl/lSCWW.

“Somewhere we must come to see that human progress never rolls in on the wheels of inevitability. It comes through the tireless efforts and persistent work of dedicated individuals.” – MLK, Jr. 

And something to watch, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performing the MLK section of Three Black Kings:

Thanks to you – over 800 Thanksgiving turkeys donated! http://goo.gl/AGWg3

MA adds 10,800 jobs in October, unemployment stays a 7.3% (still lower than 9% national average): http://ow.ly/7ypBI

Check it out! Willis Center’s 20th Anniversary Video: Celebrating Success is now online http://vimeo.com/31849210.

Flu Prevention and the African-American Community from MA DPH:http://tinyurl.com/d5jb583

Check out spring internships at Willis Center: http://www.williscenter.org/career-opportunities/internship-opportunities. We’d love to work with you!

Make sure to follow Willis Center on Facebook and Twitter so you don’t miss any Willis Center news!

 
Click on images to view larger or visit www.williscenter.org to view a slideshow. 
Image credits: Keesha LaTulippe and Bill Gardner

More information about the election:

Worcester Election Commission

Stand for Children School Committee Voter Guide

Initiative for Engaged Citizenship:
Mayor and City Council Guide, School Committee Guide, District City Council Guide

T&G election 2011

Wocester Magazine Get Out and Vote 2011

Check out Misspresentation, a film about the impact of and misrepresentation in the media, especially regarding women: http://ow.ly/6TU0u

Starting to think about college? Applying this year? Check out Lt. Governor Tim Murrary talking about a new resource – www.yourplanforcollege.org – http://ow.ly/6TThU

Learn more about Domestic Violence services in Worcester country on the YWCA’s website: http://ow.ly/6TS6Y

South High in the NYTimes: http://ow.ly/6MvQ3

Did you catch the article on Black Legacy’s Black Families for Education Conference? http://ow.ly/6Gz1F Better yet, did you get to go to the conference? What did you think of the “School House to Prison House” video? Great job to the youth who created the film!

“Federal and state safety net programs substantially reduce poverty, especially among children.” Read more in a study of how state’s safety net policies affect poverty: http://ow.ly/6GyHu

The young men at Hope House helped to save a cat from the Leicester recycling center! http://ow.ly/6zNCd.

Heath & Human Services announces the SmokeFreeTXT: a mobile smoking cessation service designed for US teens and adults http://ow.ly/6zK2F

Worcester GDP Growth Leads New England http://ow.ly/6wd2n

The Lois B. Green Breast Health Center opened on September 12th: http://ow.ly/6rIlV

Secretary of Health and Human Services on how to protect youth from big tobacco: http://ow.ly/6kdZj

Check out these other events and leave a comment to let us know about others!

Mayor’s Commission on Latino Education Excellence Report Celebration – Thursday, September 29th

Join the Commission, Mayor O’Brien, and Superintendent Boone as they unveil and celebrate the release of Creating the Will: A Community Roadmap to Achieving Educational Excellence for Latino Students in Worcester. This report culminates 6 months of research, public hearing, and multi-sector deliberations on closing the achievement gap in Worcester conducted by the Mayoral Commission on Latino Education Excellence. Recommendations target what families, schools, government, private sector, and higher education can do to improve outcomes for our young people. The celebration includes music and Latino cuisine. More info and RSVP on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=241353802582083.

Main South Celebrates! 2011 – Saturday, October 1st

A fun-filled day, Main South Celebrates! 2011 will offer diverse musical performances, food, vendors, and activities for all ages. This event demonstrates collaboration between all members of the Worcester community, including local residents, business/property owners, non-profit organizations, and city officials. Main South Celebrates! offers the entire Worcester community an opportunity to unite through free musical performances, food, activities, and games for all ages. The goal of the festival is to celebrate Main South, the neighborhood’s revitalization efforts, and the reclamation of Crystal/University Park. The festival is family-focused, with seperate kids section equipped with bouncies, face-painting, arts & crafts, and more! The performances will knock your socks off and the foresty department will be returning to hoist children into the trees. As always, MSC! 2011 will have free burgers, hot dogs and hamburgers! More info on the website http://mainsouthcelebrates.org/default.aspx or RSVP on Facebook http://mainsouthcelebrates.org/default.aspx.

Initiative for Engaged Citizenship Candidates Forums – Wednesday, October 5th and October 12th

School Committee Candidates Forum – October 5th
The Initiative for Engaged Citizenship and the Social Justice Roundtable are proud to bring you the 2011 Worcester GOTV Initiative School Committee Forum. Come to this great event where you will meet the candidates, hear their views on critical issues impacting our students, and see clips of two youth based documentaries. Light Refreshments will be served.  More info and RSVP on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=228909857154327.

At-Large City Council Candidates Forum – October 12th
A chance to learn more about your at-large city council candidates before the election. Check back for more information and RSVP on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=131255180302522.

You can find the Initiative for Engaged Citizenship on Facebook too https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Initiative-for-Engaged-Citizenship/201989353179894.

5th Annual Regional Environmental Council Slow Food Gala – Thursday, October 13th

The Slow Food Gala Host Committee and the Regional Environmental Council (REC) invite you tocelebrate the REC’s 40th Anniversary by sharing a special meal of local, sustainably produced food. All proceeds to benefit the REC’s Food Justice Program: UGROW, YouthGROW, Share Our Strength’s Cooking Matters™, and the REC Community Farmers Markets. More info and RSVP: http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07e4qy6diofb9edddd&llr=mcf89lcab

One of the events is this Saturday – don’t miss it!

Open Road Music & Arts Festival – Saturday, September 10th, 11am-6pm

“The median wealth of a white family in 2009 was 20 times greater than that of the average black family…” – NPR http://ow.ly/69osM

NPR’s Talk of the Nation on the education achievement gap between races: http://ow.ly/6aHfj

Study shows Narcan distribution is working to reduce opiate-relate overdose deaths in Boston: http://ow.ly/6kdUk

How much do you know about MyPlate? http://ow.ly/5TqeV

T&G: Worcester has $5.37M surplus http://ow.ly/5Xn6n

From Worcester Magazine: Local nonprofit is raffling off a new car and cash prizes. Find details here: http://t.co/TtblG1L

Worcester is 3rd in the country for major metro areas for job growth (4.3%) and declining unemployment (8.4%) http://ow.ly/5YUfC

Check out these pictures of Social Justice Roundtable http://ow.ly/5YUk1

“31 Million U.S. Kids Live in Poverty Today As Racial Inequality Deepens” http://ow.ly/67Jtf

Wealth gap widens between whites & minorities, from Washington Post: http://ow.ly/5Tq02

Almost One-Quarter of Americans Report Binge Drinking in the Past Month, according to the The Partnership at Drugfree.org http://goo.gl/h4s2x

“A Squash’s Journey: From the Shelf to the Hungry” on NPR http://ow.ly/5Iiyk

How much do you know about MyPlate? http://ow.ly/5TqeV

The Greater Worcester community needs culturally competent, minority based services. You can help: http://www.williscenter.org/how-you-can-help.