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Watertown Students Make Art Inspired by MLK for Monday’s Unity Breakfast

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Artwork created by Lowell School students. Ms. Jaclyn Zywocinski & Ms. Christine Talamas and their kindergarten & 1st grade students at the J.R. Lowell Elementary School created the centerpiece art for the annual Unity Breakfast while learning about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Students talked about how it doesn’t matter what the color your skin is… we are all so special, different and kind.  And all hands, even small ones, can help the world! The Unity Breakfast will take place on Monday, Jan. 20.

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Watertown Will Celebrate 20th Unity Breakfast in Honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.

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The following information was provided by World in Watertown:

Watertown will celebrate its 20th Unity Breakfast to remember Martin Luther King Jr. at 8:30 a.m., Jan. 20 at the Hellenic Cultural Center, 25 Bigelow Ave., Watertown. The breakfast has become a Watertown tradition, drawing over 400 guests. This year’s honorary host will be Deanne Galdston, superintendent of the Watertown Public Schools. The keynote speaker is Jonathan Lewis, senior level Kingian Nonviolence trainer, Positive Peace Warrior Network.

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Minister of First Parish Bidding Church, Watertown Farewell

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Mark Harris, minister of the First Parish Church of Watertown, received the 2019 Unity Award. He helped start the event, and will be retiring from the church later this year. After 23 years, the Rev. Mark Harris will leave Watertown’s First Parish Church Unitarian Universalist where he made his mark with his congregation and the wider community. Harris’ time as minister of First Parish Church runs through the end of July, but he gave his last sermon in early June. In September, he and his wife, Andrea Greenwood, will move to Maine.

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A Unity Breakfast Full of Goodbyes & Challenges to Fight for MLK’s Vision

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Rahsaan Hall gave the keynote address at the 2019 Unity Breakfast. He is the director of the ACLU of Massachusetts’ Racial Justice Program. The 19th annual Watertown Unity Breakfast not only celebrated the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., on Monday, but also paid tribute to two people who have been regulars at the event as they say farewell. Despite the frigid and icy conditions on MLK Day 2019, the Hellenic Cultural Center was packed for the event presented by World in Watertown. Those in attendance heard from a member of the ACLU of Massachusetts about how the fight against racisms not over, and also were addressed — perhaps for the last time — by Rev. Mark Harris, minister of First Parish of Watertown, and Watertown Police Officer Harold “Tony” Physic.

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Director of ACLU Mass.’s Racial Justice Program to Speak at Unity Breakfast

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The organizers of the Unity Breakfast provided the following announcement:

On Monday, January 21, 2019 Watertown will celebrate its nineteenth Unity Breakfast on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The event brings together hundreds of people, representing Watertown’s diverse population, to remember Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the man who devoted his life to ending prejudice and racism in our country. The Unity Breakfast has become a Watertown tradition, drawing over 400 guests. The program includes a timely keynote speaker, lively choral music, essays and art projects by Watertown middle and high school students, and the presentation of the Unity Award to Watertown individuals or community organizations that have demonstrated outstanding community service to the town. This year the Honorary Host will be Officer Tony Physic of the Watertown Police Department.

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Watertown Artist Captured 2018 Unity Breakfast in Sketches and Words

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The 2018 Watertown Unity Breakfast was another resounding success – with over 400 participants gathering at the Hellenic Center on January 15 to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., organizers announced. As in previous Unity Breakfast events, the program included lively music, an inspiring and informative keynote address, winners of the Middle School and High School essay contests, murals and rap lyrics from Middle School students, and a presentation of the annual Unity Award for outstanding community service. And a hearty breakfast served by the Watertown Deluxe Diner. Local press coverage of the 2018 was extensive – with articles in both online and print versions of the Watertown Tab, the online Watertown News, and video of the entire event by WCATV (the local cable television station). In addition, however, Unity Breakfast organizers have made available an unusual and creative record of this year’s Unity Breakfast – “sketch notes”, colorful hand-drawn notes and illustrations created by local artist Sheri Kennedy.

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Watertown Community Foundation Co-President Emcees 18th Unity Breakfast

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Darshna Varia, Watertown Community Foundation Co-President, was selected as the Honorary Convener for the 18th Annual Unity Breakfast, held on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to celebrate Dr. King’s vision, the foundation announced. The Breakfast draws hundreds every year, and on January 15, 2018 over four hundred attendees were welcomed with Varia’s reflections of her own exposure to Kingian thought and action. Having grown up in Kenya, Varia described her own introduction to the power of resistance to oppression with the 1990 release from prison of African National Congress leader Nelson Mandela. As many Americans may have recalled where they were when Dr. King gave his “I Have a Dream” speech, she recounted the sense of energy and possibility many in Africa felt when Mandela was freed. She noted that increasingly attendees would remember other visionary leaders, inspired by Dr. King, making it all the more important for each generation to recall King’s dream, to take stock of the work necessary to make it real, and to recommit itself to the task.

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MLK Day Speaker Stresses Friendship, Unity Award Goes to Boys and Girls Club Head

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For the 18th year in a row Watertown celebrated the life of Martin Luther King, Jr., and his legacy during the Unity Breakfast. During the event the keynote speaker talked about his work to make the conversation about race in America a positive and productive one through friendship and love, and the head of the Watertown Boys & Girls Club received the Unity Award. The morning also featured moving readings from the winner of the Watertown Middle School and High School MLK Essay Contest, and performances from singers and rappers. The event took place at the Hellenic Cultural Center on Monday and was sponsored by The World in Watertown. William “Smitty” Smith has some credentials in working to improve race relations in the United States.