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Mid Hudson Times , Wednesday , April 11 , 2018

PUBLIC AGENDA

WEDNESDAY , APRIL 11

Town of New Windsor Planning Board , 7 p . m . Town Hall , 555 Union Ave ., New Windsor .

THURSDAY , APRIL 19 Town of Newburgh Planning Board , 7 p . m . Town Hall , 1496 Route 300 , Town of Newburgh .

MONDAY , APRIL 23

Town of Newburgh Workshop meeting , 7 p . m . Town Hall , 1496 Route 300 , Town of Newburgh .

WEDNESDAY , APRIL 25

Town of New Windsor Planning Board , 7 p . m . Town Hall , 555 Union Ave ., New Windsor .

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The Mid Hudson Times ( USPS 000-5947 ) is a weekly newspaper published every Wednesday at Newburgh , NY 12550 , with offices at 300 Stony Brook Court , Newburgh , NY Single copy : $ 1 at newsstand . By mail in Orange , Ulster or Sullivan Counties : $ 40 annually , $ 44 out of county . Periodicals permit at Newburgh , NY POSTMASTER : Send address changes to Mid Hudson Times , 300 Stony Brook Court , Newburgh , NY 12550 .

By SHANTAL RILEY sriley @ tcnewspapers . com

The City of Newburgh community marked the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr . this month with talk , prayers , songs and words of healing .

“ Here we are , 50 years later , faithfully committed to the struggle for human rights for all people ,” said Tiombe Tallie Carter of the Black History Committee of the Hudson Valley , which hosted a day-long series of events commemorating King ’ s passing .

“ On April 4 , 1968 , a ruthless gunman shot and killed Rev . Dr . Martin Luther King Jr . and our country was shattered . Our champion had been felled , so it seemed , in the weeks after his death . And the country mourned for so many months to come . In many respects , we still mourn .”

Tallie Carter stood in front of the MLK Monument on that windy day at Rev . Dr . Martin Luther King Jr . Boulevard and Colden Street . The monument is located at the future site of the Rev . Dr . Martin Luther King Jr . Memorial Park , and adjacent to the future resting place for African American remains found beneath the city courthouse about ten years ago . Under a city-led plan , the remains are expected to be reinterred in a museum dedicated to local African American history over the next several years .

“ Joining with our global family , we ‘ renew our commitment to justice – to eradicating and removing systems that keep people locked in a cycle that they have trouble breaking free from ,” Tallie Carter said . “ Cycles of over-criminalization , poverty , lack of education and poor health tear at the fibers of communities , creating stress that causes more problems .”

These topics were further addressed at the Newburgh Free Library later that day . “ We need to have more discussions about economic injustice ,” said Master of Ceremony Phil Howard , and the climate of renewed racism in the country . “ Racism has become part of political rhetoric ,” he said .

Howard said the civil rights movement of the 1960s was also rooted in a struggle for economic freedom . He pointed out that , at the time of his death , King had

The struggle lives on ,” said Philip Howard , at a Black History Committee of the Hudson Valley event honoring the 50th anniversary of the passing of MLK last week .

gone to Memphis , Tennessee , to support striking , black sanitation workers , who were seeking fair wages and safe working conditions .

King advocated for a “ guaranteedminimum income ” for blacks and others , as means of achieving social equality ,

Tiombe Tallie Carter led a vigil at the MLK monument in the City of Newburgh .

Howard said . “ His legacy was more than the shared values of peace and equality ,” he pointed out .

Howard urged parents to encourage their children to read the writings of MLK and to read year-round , not just during the school year . “ Education is the great equalizer ,” he said .

Rev . Nelson McAllister noted that King ’ s brand of protest was non-violent . “ The fight came to him ,” McAllister said . “ The moment was when Rosa Parks was not allowed to sit in the front of the bus ... it became a movement .” Gabrielle Burton Hill highlighted the right to vote as another civil right championed by King , who said , “ Voting is the foundation stone for political action .”

“ We were beaten by police officers and attacked by police dogs and firehosed ,” said Burton Hill , speaking about the struggle for black suffrage . “ We can demand ( change ) when we come together ,” she said , urging people to exercise their right to vote .

“ If you can ’ t fly then run , if you can ’ t run then walk , if you can ’ t walk then crawl , but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward ,” said Roxie Royal , quoting King . “ He was killed for his effort to obtain equality ,” she said . “ We can ’ t afford to let his dream and legacy be forgotten .”