GCC resuming MLK Day celebration

  • Children color images of Martin Luther King Jr. during activities at Greenfield Community College in 2018. GCC will host its annual Martin Luther King Day celebration next week for the first time since 2020. Staff File Photo/Paul Franz

  • Families make clay ornaments on Martin Luther King Day at Greenfield Community College in 2017. GCC will host its annual Martin Luther King Day celebration next week for the first time since 2020. Staff File Photo/Paul Franz

Staff Writer
Published: 1/12/2023 4:41:49 PM
Modified: 1/12/2023 4:38:42 PM

GREENFIELD — For the first time since 2020, Greenfield Community College will host its annual Martin Luther King Day celebration.

“I think some people think of this as a holiday where they can take time off,” said Associate Dean for Community Engagement Judy Raper. “We’ve always thought of it as a day to … really honor and remember what he contributed to American life and to our history.”

The celebration — which will feature speaker Kwamane Harris, choral performances from the MLK Chorus and Twice as Smart youth group, lunch and reflection on the words of Martin Luther King Jr. — will be held Monday in the Cohn Family Dining Commons from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“What I love about this year is it’s going to be an intergenerational celebration,” Raper said. “I think people can expect to learn more about the legacy of Dr. King as well as be inspired by young people … carrying on his legacy.”

Although the celebration won’t be as “robust” as the years immediately preceding the pandemic, Raper said the college is honored to be hosting the celebration again.

“We’re very excited about it,” Raper said. “It feels like an important tradition the college has continued to uphold.”

To RSVP for lunch, visit gcc.mass.edu/events/martin-luther-king-jr-day-celebration.

Reporter Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-930-4429. Twitter: @MaryEByrne.


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