ORANGE, NJ — The Rev. Melvin Wilson and his St. Matthew AME church congregation in Orange will be celebrating the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, Jan. 21, at noon with a Day of Remembrance at the church at 336 Oakwood Ave.
According to organizers, the event will feature performances by the R.O.A.R. Liturgical Dancers and the Voices of a New Generation choir, as well as a keynote speech from the Rev. Regena L. Thomas. North Ward Councilwoman Tency Eason, a longtime member of the church, will also be at the event.
“My church is doing this, but the entire city of Orange Township community is invited to come out and fellowship with us, in honor of Dr. King,” said Eason on Tuesday, Jan. 15, King’s birthday. “We need to remember Dr. King and what he said, and what he did and what he stood for, and who he stood up for, especially these days, with the current president that we have in the White House. We need to remember Dr. King’s dream and everybody, regardless of race or religion, should do whatever we can to keep his dream alive.”
Eason was referring to King’s iconic “I Have A Dream” speech, which he delivered at the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 28, 1963, during the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, at the height of the national civil rights movement.
King would have been 90 years old Tuesday, Jan. 15.