NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Martin Luther King Jr. Day events in Hutchinson are continuing this year, starting with the annual observance on the Sunday before at Stringer Fine Arts Center at 2 p.m. on Jan. 14.
"There are several choirs that always perform on the King Day holiday," said Hence Parson. "Badinage from Hutchinson Community College, Buhler High School and Hutchinson High School. We look forward to that. Aside from that, we have about six young people who are going to speak to the theme."
The theme this year is "It starts with me: Shifting the cultural climate through the study and practice of Kingian nonviolence."
"King was about nonviolence," Parson said. "I think that is important in these times, when you think about school shootings, when you think about domestic violence. It's time for us to really be serious about being nonviolent."
Then, on Monday, the community will come together for the Day of Service, starting with a brief program and breakfast at Stringer.
"Unity comes forth when you interact with people who might not look like you, think like you, come from the same places that you do," said City of Hutchinson Human Relations Officer Dave Sotelo. "Think about your group of friends, the close people that you hang out with, spend time with, that you go out and grab a beer or coffee or worship with. What do they look like? Where do they come from? If they look a whole lot like you and are a lot like you, I would ask, what does that say about you? It's about asking yourself, what are ways to meet different people, interact with different people and address some of those biases and racial tendencies that we have as we interact with people. That's what we're doing here. We're trying to bring people together to connect, to have breakfast together to work together, to interact with one another, to learn about one another and build community."
That event starts at 9 a.m. on Monday.
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