Boulder joined step with communities across the country on Monday to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Hundreds of people flowed in and out of the Glen Miller Ballroom in the UMC on the CU campus to participate in one or more of 13 workshops about racism, human rights, slavery and immigration in historic and modern context.
The well-planned event was due, in part, to the Boulder ADL.
Said the ADLs Amy Stein: This is the second year in a row that weve been on the planning committee playing one of the major roles as a co-sponsor.
The Boulder ADL had an integral part in putting on the human rights fair in the ballroom and selecting the keynote speaker, Dr. Polly McClean, a CU faculty member who conducts research in media and social change, racism and anti-racism in popular culture.
We also helped plan the march and rally, which is the most moving part of this event, said Stein.
Sara-Jane Cohen has volunteered with the ADL at the King celebration for the last several years, because I believe very strongly in the ADL and its message of inclusivity, and fighting any kind of bigotry, she said.
The event energizes her.
You know, Boulder is a fairly white community but its not a white community, said Cohen. The [MLK] event brings together people from all ethnicities, economic levels, backgrounds. People come and learn about one another.
The fair featured booths from more than 30 organizations, including the Boulder County AIDS Project, Veterans for Peace, Reading to End Racism and the I Have A Dream Foundation. Each organization had its own message of peace, tolerance or acceptance.
As far as the ADLs participation, we are about fighting anti-Semitism, but were also about fighting all forms of racism and bigotry, explained Stein.
Jews were an integral part of the civil rights movement and we continue to stand up for anyone and everyone wherever their rights are being abridged.
The event started at 9 a.m. with a welcome speech and breakfast, continued with a keynote address by Dr. McClean, peaked with a rally and march flanked by live entertainment by hip-hop artists before ending with birthday cake and closing remarks.
