2023 TRIBUTE
Urgency of Now: One Community, One Love.
Honoring Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service is a time set aside each year, where we as a country, work together, serving others, to make our communities more equitable. We annually observe this day each year on the third Monday in January. As the only federal holiday designated as a National Day of Service, MLK Day encourages all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities.
The theme for the City of College Park’s 2023 Tribute to Dr. King is the Urgency of Now: One Community, One Love.
The City of College Park is providing multiple ways our residents can honor Dr. King's legacy on January 16th and throughout the entire month:
Art, Visual Art, and Essay Competition (for students in kindergarten to 12th grade)
We are pleased to announce the Martin Luther King, Jr. College Park Art, Visual Art, and Essay Competition. This contest was created to further engage our youth with Dr. King's legacy, his vision, and his leadership that inspired a nation.
The contest is open to kindergarten through 12th grade students who live in the City of College Park.
Submissions will be judged on creativity, clarity, content, coherence, and adherence to theme. The winners will receive cash awards and be recognized as part of this year’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration.
Read the rules, entry information and more here.
Submit your entry to events@collegeparkmd.gov.
Virtual Panel
Event Start Date: Monday, January 16, 2023 - 7:00 pm- 8:00pm
Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/98187966180.
Join our panelists and us on January 16th for a thought-provoking discussion on Dr. King's teachings and legacy. Registration is free. RSVP here.
Panelists:
Kenny Young began his tenure with the City of College Park, Maryland in September of 2021. Mr. Young brings with him more than 25 years of progressive leadership experience in the private sector and local government across the country. Kenny is well-known for his expertise and experience in economic and community development and working in communities undergoing rapid growth and transformation. Speaking-subtopic: One Community, One Love
Dr. Adam Payne earned a Doctor of Education in the Penn Chief Learning Officer program from the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania in 2018. Adam is also a musician, and he has recorded six albums while contributing to several other albums and projects. Payne currently serves as President/Chair of the University of Pennsylvania Chief Learning Officer Alumni Network Board of Directors and serves as an end-of-life doula for Hospice. Adam firmly believes that love is the common denominator that can unite all of us toward a brighter future, and this is inspired largely by the central message of Martin Luther King, Jr. Love is the common denominator and education is the vehicle. Adam has been teaching since 2005 and now serves as an Assistant Professor of Psychology in the School of Sciences and Humanities at Wentworth Institute of Technology. Speaking-subtopic: One Community, One Education
Dr. Karen Sheares, MD, Ph.D. is a lifelong student on Dr. King's writings and speeches, Karen Sheares has spent her career advocating for and practicing a Kingian ministry of radical love and oneness as a practicing pediatrician working with children growing up in impoverished and oppressive circumstances, as a researcher striving toward a more effective, patient-centered and equitable healthcare delivery system, as an educator of medical students, pediatric residents, health services researchers, and as a volunteer in various communities. Dr. Sheares holds a Ph.D. from Yale University in Integrative Medicine and a Doctor of Medicine (MD) from Washinton School of Medicine, St Louis. Dr. Shaeres is the Director of Quality Measurement Program at Yale University. Speaking-subtopic: One Community, One Healthcare
Ram Surendren, AIA, NOMA, NCARB, LEED is an architect & urban designer. Ram dedicates his time and energies to supporting his community as a “citizen architect”, recognizing the impact that architects’ insights and training can contribute in building inclusive communities. Beyond architecture, Ram practices Nichiren Buddhism of Soka Gakkai. He has served on various committees and held multiple leadership positions on local green building council board and Buddhist organizations. Ram has organized or participated in numerous projects centered around the unconditional love promulgated by Dr. Martin Luther King and love-centered global citizenship. Ram is a Project Manager at Military at Mason & Hanger. Speaking-subtopic: One Community, One World
Moderated by
Councilmember Llatetra Brown-Esters has chosen College Park as her home since 1999. She and her husband have lived in the Oak Springs neighborhood since 2014. She is a higher education administrator who has worked in the field for over 25 years. Her professional experience has helped her to develop leadership skills necessary to deal with complex situations, make critical decisions, and engage with people from all walks of life.
Llatetra has served on the College Park Advisory Planning Commission, and she has served as an Election Judge in Precinct 21001 at Paint Branch Elementary School.
Llatetra holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Adelphi University, A Master’s degree in Student Personnel from New York University, and a Doctorate in Higher Education Administration/Community College Leadership from Morgan State University.
Speakers:
Congressman Glenn Ivey is an attorney who served on Capitol Hill as chief counsel to the Senate Majority Leader, as counsel to Senator Paul Sarbanes during the Whitewater investigations, Chief Majority Counsel to the Senate Banking Committee, and on the staff of Rep. John Conyers (D-MI). He also worked for U.S. Attorney Eric Holder as an assistant U. S. Attorney, and as chair of Maryland’s Public Service Commission. He was twice elected as State's Attorney for Prince George's County where he worked with the Obama Administration to cut crime.
Congressman Ivey established Ivey & Levetown in 2020, and recently represented a Lafayette Square protestor, arguing that the facial recognition software used to identify him compounds discrimination against dark-skinned people. The Department of Justice threw out the case. As chair of the County Executive Angela Alsobrooks’ Police Reform Taskforce in 2020 Ivey led the committee that examined the police department’s internal policies.
Ivey grew up in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, where the schools of his hometown were still segregated when he started attending. But he watched his mother, a librarian, desegregate four different white schools, as well as his father, who worked for a federal War on Poverty agency that helped unemployed workers in eastern North Carolina get job training and find jobs.
It was then Ivey saw the power of public service and the impact that advocates can have on social justice. And ever since, he has been a tireless fighter for our community. As Prince George's County State's Attorney, he created a first-of-its-kind Domestic Violence Prosecution Unit and pushed for stronger witness intimidation penalties. When the real estate market went south, he established an award-winning mortgage fraud unit that stood up for homeowners.
Ivey resides in Prince George’s County with his wife, Jolene, a County Councilmember. His son, Julian, serves as a Delegate for District 47A in the Maryland House of Delegates. Ivey is a graduate of Princeton University (A.B. 1983) and Harvard Law School (J.D. 1986).
Dr. Samuel Ticha: leader-follower relationships constitute the most important human link both at work and in the community. Private boards of directors make the most impactful decisions on how goods and services that meet out needs are produced and distributed. Community groups like The Congress also make the most impactful decisions on how we live our interdependent lives. With 30+ years’ of experience, Dr. Samuel Ticha’s love-centered research, consulting, coaching, facilitation and teaching is focused around (1) leader-follower relationships and (2) boardroom relationships (3) member relations in community decision-making groups or boards. Dr. Ticha holds a master of science in education with leader-follower dynamics emphasis, and a doctorate in education with boardroom dynamics emphasis – both degrees from the University of Pennsylvania.
Mayor Patrick Wojahn is an advocate for trails and safe bicycle and pedestrian networks as Director of Government Relations at Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. Previously, Patrick worked as a policy and legal advocate for the rights of people with disabilities and for people living with HIV/AIDS in the DC metro area. Patrick has served in various leadership roles in the past, including as Chair of the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board and as chair of the National League of Cities Transportation and Infrastructure Service Policy Committee. He was a founding member of the Board of Directors of the College Park Community Foundation and served on the Boards of Directors of the College Park Community Food Bank and Equality Maryland.
Born and raised in Wisconsin, Patrick received his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 2002. He has lived in College Park with his husband, Dave Kolesar, for over twelve years. He also completed the Senior Executives in State and Local Government program at the Harvard John F. Kennedy School of Public Policy and is a graduate of the spring 2012 class of the Prince George's County Citizens Police Academy and the 2014 class of Leadership Greater Washington.
Book Giveaway (for young readers)
As part of our tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the month of January, the City is hosting a book giveaway to engage with the youngest members of our community. The City is giving away free copies of three books that educate and inform about Dr. King’s life and his work towards Civil Rights. The three books are as follows:
- Martin’s Big Words by Doreen Rappaport (grade range: k-3)
- We March by Shane W. Evans (grade range: 1 –2)
- The Civil Rights Movement by Jennifer Zieger (grade range: 4-6)
City residents have the choice of receiving one copy of one or each of the three books, while supplies last. To request a copy of any of these books, please complete this application, fill out the information, and you will be notified when you can pick up your book at City Hall.
Please note: You will receive an email when your copy is available for pickup. Once you receive a confirmation email that your book(s) are available for pickup, the book(s) must be picked up at City Hall (7401 Baltimore Ave) during business hours. Up to one copy per book per household, while supplies last. City residency is required. Please bring a copy of your submitted form and proof of residency. You must pick up your book(s) by March 1st, 2023. When copies run out, the form will automatically deactivate.
Food Drive
Throughout the month of January, the City of College Park will honor the life and legacy of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. with a canned food drive starting Tuesday, January 3rd through Tuesday, Jan. 31.
A collection box will be established at the City Hall Building, 7401 Baltimore Avenue. The City will accept your donations of non-perishables (no homemade items will be accepted) to support the College Park Community Food Bank.
The College Park Community Food Bank reduces hunger in College Park and the surrounding communities by regularly offering healthy food to individuals and families. The need is great as they are serving three times the number of families than usual during COVID-19.
Clean, non-dented canned & boxed food items, not past their expiration date.
PREFERRED ITEMS
- Beans
- Soup
- Tuna
- Canned Fruit (in juice or light syrup)
- Canned Veggies (no salt added or low sodium)
- Peanut Butter
- Pasta
- Canned Tomatoes
- Macaroni and Cheese
- Rice
Day of Service
Check this site for more MLK-centered activities in the county and areas around College Park for you to honor Dr. King's legacy:
- City of Greenbelt Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service January 16th at 10am, Buddy Attick Lake Park
Be a part of the community effort to protect trees from beaver herbivory and invasive vines at Buddy Attick Park. Volunteers will work with Public Works staff to place wire caging around the trunks of native trees to protect them from beaver herbivory and remove invasive vines. Learn more here. - Montgomery County MLK Week of Service January 16th 12-3pm, Bethesda North Marriott Conference Center
On Monday, January 16th, Montgomery County will celebrate the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. We will join with thousands of Americans across the country who will celebrate the national holiday honoring the life and work of Dr. King by doing service in their communities. Montgomery County's main service event will take place again this year at the Bethesda North Marriott Conference Center. The event will include service projects from 12PM – 3PM. Learn more here.