By Liz Leamy
Last Thursday, dozens of people, including many political, secular and educational figureheads from in and around town and local Fairfield County area, came together to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in a standing-room only event held in the Cone Room at Greenwich Town Hall.
This unforgettable official Town of Greenwich inaugural annual event was all about the legacy, impact and teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who professed the importance of selflessness and power of unity among people, with many moving remarks made on his behalf by such notable local community and area leaders as First Selectman Fred Camillo, Connecticut State Senator Ryan Fazio and Reverend Dr. Thomas L. Nins, Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church in Greenwich, among others.
“Martin Luther King was a great leader in the American tradition who reminded our nation what it never should have forgotten-that all men are created equal and our government should recognize that eternal truth,” said Senator Ryan Fazio. “Hopefully, for his legacy, we can heed the lessons he helped teach us and work to make our union more perfect.”
This ceremony powerfully captured the strength and spirit of Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy as everyone in the room, including a lively group of fifth graders from the Old Greenwich School who had recently studied civil rights and spoke about what Martin Luther King Day means to them, came together in his honor.
“We’re thrilled to be here and to be part of this event. It means a lot to everyone,” said Dr. Jennifer Bencivengo, Principal of Old Greenwich School who, during her time when had worked as a teacher at Central Middle School several years back, had taught Reverend Nins’ children while there.
Along with the fifth graders from Old Greenwich School, there were also many other community members and figureheads at this event, including James Heavey, the Chief of Police of the Greenwich Police Department and Greenwich Town Clerk Jackie Budkins, who, along with everyone else, listened as intently as ever to the words of the speakers, including those of Reverend Nins.
During his talk, Reverend Nins spoke about the power and legacy of Martin Luther King in relation to jazz music, describing Martin Luther King Jr. as the ‘Duke Ellington of Human Rights.’
“He created a new musical score for America and his understanding of things created a new sound and style for the world,” said Reverend Nins, who has served as the Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church in Greenwich for more than 20 years. “What he did was take all these moving parts and bring them together and we are guardians of the beloved community that Martin Luther King created.”
Reverend Nins also spoke about how Martin Luther King Jr.’s life was all about serving others and that he would often think about his own mortality and how he would like to be remembered.
“He would say ‘tell them not to mention my awards or where I went to school,’” said Reverend Nins about Martin Luther King Jr., who, during his extraordinary life as an American Christian minister, activist and political philosopher, was awarded numerous major citations, including a Nobel Peace Prize for his role in helping combat racial inequality through nonviolent resistance. “He said ‘I just want to leave a committed life behind and if I can help somebody I left behind, my duty will not be in vain.’”
This event then concluded with everyone singing ‘America’ (My Country, ‘Tis of Thee) that was written by Samuel Francis Smith in 1831 and ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing,’ a hymn with lyrics by James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938) that was set to music by his brother, J. Rosamond Johnson (1873-1954), all together.
During this juncture, those there were lead through each song by Ruby Durant, a Deaconess at the First Baptist Church in Greenwich who was a longtime Town of Greenwich employee and who said that she had been very much affected by the passing away of Martin Luther King Jr. which happened during the time when she was a teenager.
“We have to be a friend to each other and hold hands with each other,” said Durant, echoing the powerful message of Martin Luther King Jr. in regard to the power of unity among people.
“This has been such a big event and you can really see how all the world is coming together here,” said Tony B of the Tony B Radio Show on AM 1490 WGCH, whose much-anticipated weekly show, ‘Ambassadors of the Aging’ that will be centered around encouragement, information and hope as a means to create an on-air community for this contingent is slated to kick off on Friday, March 29th at 930 am on that radio station. “The political heads, especially Fred Camillo, ought to be commended for bringing all the people together here today. It is a vision for the future.”
