Community Members Prepare for MLK Day Events

Next Monday, Jan. 16, many will take at least a few moments of reflection in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. But in Lexington, the CommUNITY Commemoration comes a day earlier.

At 1 p.m. this Sunday, an assembled group will walk from the to , where an indoor program, featuring the Harrington Elementary School chorus and the film “Come Walk in My Shoes,” will begin promptly at 2 p.m.

According to a , the program is designed for students, parents, teachers and any other community member interested in learning about the impact young people had on the Civil Rights protests in the South in the 1960s.

After the film, First Church of Belmont’s Minister Emeritus, the Rev. Victor Carpenter, who was one of the clergy members inspired by Dr. King, will engage the audience in a discussion. 

Local Youth Sing to Honor Dr. King

And then on Monday, Jan. 16, a handful of Lexington youths will perform with the Boston Children’s Chorus and Melinda Doolittle of American Idol fame during the BCC’s ninth annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute Concert. 

Lexington residents Nancy Chomitz, Valentina Gambino, Ranya Virk and Reginald Murphy are the BCC members performing in “Beloved Community,” a performance in which the BCC seeks to harness the power and joy of music as a catalyst to unite and inspire social change.

"Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a vision of a world without limits, a world where anyone no matter their race or gender could co-exist in unity," David Howse, executive director of the BCC, said in a press release. "While we still have challenges to reach his dream, it is time to celebrate what successes we have had in this journey. It is in the young that we can clearly see and hear the future of our world."

Join the singers at Jordan Hall, New England Conservatory, 30 Gainsborough Street in Boston where they will perform two tribute concerts on Monday, Jan. 16 at 2 p.m. (all tickets are $15) and 7 p.m. (tickets are $25, $35 and $45) To purchase tickets or for more information visit http://www.bostonchildrenschorus.org.