2016 NJ MLK Commemorative at NJ State Museum Watch video
TRENTON - The New Jersey Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Commission hosted their annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative event Sunday at the New Jersey State Museum Auditorium.
The Keynote Speaker this year was Rev. Dr. Darrell L. Armstrong, Pastor at Shiloh Baptist Church, in Trenton.
The program included guest speakers, music, arts, and dialogue--all to honor the life and legacy of Dr. King as well as commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
Vintage video was shown during the program including an interview with Rosa Parks, whose refusal to surrender her seat on a bus to a white person sparked the boycott and led to the United States Supreme Court decision that declared the Alabama and Montgomery laws requiring segregated buses to be unconstitutional.
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The program included musical performances by The Unity Choir, which includes members from various central and south Jersey houses of worship.
In addition, the winners of a K-12 art contest were announced.
The mission of the New Jersey Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Commission is "to raise public awareness of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s ideals and philosophy."
New Jersey, under Governor Tom Kean, was the first state to establish a Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Commission in 1983 to ensure Dr. King's life and work were continually recognized across New Jersey.
Michael Mancuso may be reached at mmancuso@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @michaelmancuso Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.