Cambridge Martin Luther King Day Commemoration Returns in 2023

On Monday, January 16, 2023, all are invited to remember and celebrate the life and work of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the City of Cambridge's annual Martin Luther King Day Commemoration and Remembrance, organized by the Cambridge Peace Commission.

The Commemoration will take place beginning at 11:00 AM at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 838 Massachusetts Ave., in Central Square, Cambridge. This year's program will include greetings from Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui and City Manager Yi-An Huang and feature remarks by Gail Packer, executive director of the Community Settlement and Dispute Center (CDSC). 

In 1967, Martin Luther King described what he saw as the most serious challenge for our society. In his words, “We must rapidly begin the shift from a thing-oriented society to a person-oriented society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights, are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered.” Nearly sixty years later, the United States still faces these three existential challenges to our values as a nation.

The City of Cambridge will honor and remember Dr. King and his legacy, as we gather at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church to hear members of the Cambridge community share readings of Dr. King’s words calling for peace, justice and transformation, as well as musical performances -- including by gospel soloist Christina DeVaughn. 

Gail Packer is a nationally-known trainer and leader in the fields of mediation and alternative dispute resolution. In this challenging time of continuing recovery while living through a pandemic and global conflict, she is uniquely positioned to help us think about rebuilding connections and community while recognizing the continuing impact of the giant triplets of racism, militarism, and materialism that Dr. King spoke and wrote about. Gail joined CDSC in 1988 with a background in clinical social work and more than 10 years’ experience in the Probate and Family Courts. She supervises staff and mediators and oversees mediation services as well as the design and delivery of various training programs. Established in 1979, the CDSC is a private, not-for-profit mediation and training center dedicated to providing an alternative and affordable forum for resolving conflict. CDSC promotes better ways to understand and deal with conflict through skilled teams of pro bono mediators, training programs in mediation and conflict management, and broad community outreach.

The program is free, open to all, and wheelchair accessible. More information is available at www.cambridgema.gov/peace. 
For directions to St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, located in Central Square at 838 Massachusetts Ave. at the corner of Sellers St., please, visit www.saintpeterscambridge.org/map-mbta-directions.