On Sat Jan 19th hundreds of Longwood Community Members joined together to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In a march from Coram School to the Coram Fire Dept. Below is some coverage that we received from the Greater Port Jefferson Website.
In August 1963, it’s estimated 250,000 people took part in a march on Washington D.C., congregating at the Lincoln Memorial to bring attention to the challenges still facing African-Americans a century after emancipation. During the peaceful protest, Martin Luther King gave his now famous “I have a dream” speech. Another half century later, the dream is kept alive by people around the country and in local communities like Coram, where King’s principles are still being celebrated and advanced. On Saturday, Jan. 19, the community from the Longwood School District, including administrators, teachers, fire and police department members all joined in a one-half-mile walk from Coram Elementary School to the Coram firehouse to commemorate King and his ideals. The cloudy skies and chilly weather did not dampen the spirits of hundreds of walkers gathered together to celebrate unity. “I feel as if I am reliving that experience,” said Alicia Cesar of Coram, who was there with her son Allan, a West Middle Island Elementary School kindergartener. “I’m following in the footsteps on our forefathers.”
Cesar walked so her children could have the same experience and do more for the community. Organizers used the opportunity as an educational experience through instruction, art and music. Songs celebrating America and Martin Luther King were sung by the crowd, including Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land” and Stevie Wonder’s “Happy Birthday to ya’ (Dr. King)” during a lunch held after the walk at the Coram Fire Department station on Middle Country Road. The fire department was a sponsor of the event. Other sponsors included the Middle Island Teachers Association (MITA) and Building Bridges in Brookhaven (BBB), a grassroots coalition seeking to cultivate friendships and alliances across the town. Food and beverages for the lunch were donated by local businesses. “This is our chance to come together to honor Martin Luther King,” said MITA president Josephine Libassi.
