A “Day On” with Local Organizations Furthers Dr. King’s Legacy

RALEIGH, N.C.—For the upcoming Martin Luther King holiday, recitations of Dr. King’s iconic speeches, essays about the meaning of his life and legacy, and other commemorations will be accompanied by a special event that creators hope will become a Raleigh-area tradition. “YWCA King Day-On” is led by the YWCA of the Greater Triangle and event co-sponsors, the North Carolina Social Justice Project (NCSJP) and the Community United Church of Christ (CUCC). On Monday, January 17, 2011, area citizens, civic organizations, and public and private groups will gather to honor the legacy of Dr. King through a longstanding YWCA initiative known as the Study Circle. This program will take place at CUCC, beginning at 3 p.m. The event will commemorate Dr. King’s life by highlighting lesser-known aspects of his political and theological philosophies. The event also will mark the official kick-off of three YWCA Study Circles in the community. Study Circles are multi-racial groups of eight to 10 people who gather for six weeks to learn about present-day racial disparities in our nation and the region. Participants share their experiences and learn steps to foster proactive resolutions to these disparities, which can exist in education, healthcare, financial and governmental institutions. “Dr. King is the most famous civil rights leader of the 20th century and yet many people only know him for his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech,” said Crystal Hayes, director of racial justice programs at the YWCA of the Greater Triangle. “On January 17, and through YWCA Study Circles on race and ethnicity, we invite people to have a deeper conversation about his legacy, and the unfinished business of the Civil Rights Movement towards eliminating racism.” “YWCA King Day-On” is a joint effort sparked by a YWCA presentation at a CUCC forum in earlier this year. As a result, CUCC’s Social Justice Ministry endorsed the idea of hosting the “YWCA King Day On,” joining NCSJP in co-sponsoring the project. Both organizations have a commitment to the elimination of racial discrimination in our community. “We are proud to join the YWCA in this initiative, and we hope that it will launch similar Study Circles on race throughout the Triangle,” said Cynthia Ball, CUCC forum chair and vice chair of the NCSJP board of directors, who spearheaded the effort. The event title “YWCA King Day-On” is a play on the idea of the federal holiday as a day only of rest and reflection rather than a recommitment to the teachings of Dr. King, which require vigilance, consistent action, and sacrifice. Instead of highlighting commonly known facets of Dr. King’s life and work, the “YWCA King Day-On” program will use those under-reported aspects of his life and beliefs as primers for the Study Circle dialogues which will commence that day. Both the event program and the YWCA Study Circles will inspire attendees and the community at-large for the work that remains to bring Dr. King’s visions to fruition in our community. Event: YWCA King Day-On Date: Monday, January 17, 2011 (Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Holiday) Time: 3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Location: Community United Church of Christ, 814 Dixie Trail, Raleigh YWCA of the Greater Triangle The YWCA is the world’s largest women’s membership movement, founded in 1858 to provide opportunities for women’s growth, leadership and power. Through dialogue, action and advocacy, the YWCA brings together diverse groups of concerned citizens to address disparities in our community that still exist in health, education, youth development and women’s empowerment. Established locally in 1901, the YWCA provides programs for women and men that span the region to make life-changing differences for thousands of area families. http://www.ywcatriangle.org Event Contact: Julia Dawson, jdawson@ywcatriangle.org North Carolina Social Justice Project The North Carolina Social Justice Project (NCSJP) is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that researches the causes of, solutions to, and advocates for the elimination of the widespread social inequality among traditionally under-represented groups in North Carolina. While these problems manifest in a variety of ways, NCSJP tackles problems in four major areas: Human Rights, Education, Housing, and Finance. http://www.ncsjp.org/ Community United Church of Christ Community United Church of Christ is a Raleigh-based church with a long history of community involvement, courage in controversy, deep concern for humanity, leadership in public issues, spiritual depth and joy, and warmth and friendship for the newcomer and stranger. http://www.communityucc.org/index.html NCSJP, CUCC General Contact: Cynthia Ball, cball@ballmediation.com