Working year round since 2001, the Glastonbury MLK Community Initiative (GMLKCI) is a group of volunteers who have partnered with the Town of Glastonbury’s Human Relations Commission to provide opportunities to apply Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s philosophies and principles to the greater Glastonbury and greater Hartford Community. GMLKCI seeks to encourage all to understand that the health of a community is based upon how its members relate to one another and realize what Dr. King referred to as a “Beloved Community,” where all members have a sense of belonging to, and ownership of that community. Today the GMLKCI refers to this concept as “an inclusive community” and provides opportunities to satisfy basic societal needs of belonging and acceptance, through a commitment to listening to all, appreciating differences, celebrating the positive contributions from all of its citizens, and increasing the level of trust, connectedness and civic participation in community. This is done through our free programs:
1) Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Day, held on the National Holiday
2) Community Conversations, on-going throughout the year
3) Creating opportunities for Leadership for students in Diversity Training
4) Partnering with Glastonbury organizations to host film and book talks and other events
To Date, Glastonbury MLK Community Initiative has completed:
- 13 MLK Day Celebrations in Glastonbury on the National Holiday honoring Dr. King (A Day on, Not a Day Off – Educational, Inspiring, Engaging)
- 5 Conversations on Race groups (who met for 7 weeks/2 hr. per week)
- 37 Community Conversations
- 17 Students sent to Anytown
- 7 Students sent to SummerNEXUS
- 5 Potluck dinner with conversation
- 4 Films followed by discussions
- 2 Children’s Book Talks in partnership with Welles-Turner Memorial Library Children’s Department
- 3 Book Talks for adults in partnership with the Welles-Turner Memorial Library
- 1 Book Talk in partnership with the Historical Society of Glastonbury
- 1 Gandhi Celebration
- 1 Day of Service