In observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day this Monday, Jan. 17, local synagogues and Jewish organizations will present the virtual program, “Honoring Dr. King: The Enduring Relevance of ‘Letter from a Birmingham Jail.’”
The program, to be held on Sunday, Jan. 16, from 1 to 3:30 p.m., will explore the civil rights leader’s historic 1963 letter through dramatic readings by students from the Baltimore School for the Arts.
Following the readings will be a discussion with Pulitzer Prize-winning author and King scholar Taylor Branch, grantmaker and pastor Tara Huffman, and community organizer Tre Murphy.
Facilitated by Tracie Guy-Decker, co-host of the podcast “Jews Talk Racial Justice with April and Tracie,” the discussion will examine the letter’s relevance in contemporary America. Afterward, participants will enter virtual breakout groups for small group discussions.
“Americans, especially white Americans, think we know Martin Luther King Jr., but we know a watered-down version of him,” said Guy-Decker. “I was excited to actually connect to what he wrote. It was very powerful. It felt like something that was more fully aligned with his legacy.”
In recent years, the local Jewish community’s MLK commemorative event has featured a relevant film screening and discussion. This year, organizers wanted to try something different.
“We tossed around the idea of a film but nothing jumped out at us,” said Guy-Decker. “Then, Dr. Natalie Spicyn, co-chair of Beth Am’s social justice committee, had this idea to do some text study of the letter. There was consensus that focusing on the letter felt like a good idea, especially now. It had been a little more than a year since there was this big awakening after George Floyd’s murder, and we were beginning to see people sort of falling back into default behavior.
“In the letter, King is writing to fellow clergy members and specifically to white moderates,” she said. “He calls out, or calls in, his fellow clergy, people who care more about the absence of conflict than the presence of peace or justice. That felt resonant and important to us.”
While “Honoring Dr. King” was spearheaded by Baltimore Hebrew Congregation and Jews United for Justice, Guy-Decker said the program is a collaborative effort.
Developed by the Social Justice in the Synagogues Roundtable — which includes social justice committee members from about seven area congregations — the program is co-sponsored by The Associated: Jewish Federation and many of its agencies, as well as several independent organizations such as the Jews of Color Mishpacha Project and the Baltimore Interfaith Coalition to Dismantle Racism.
As of Jan. 10, more than 200 people had registered for the event, said Guy-Decker.
She said enlisting the efforts of different individuals with diverse affiliations and personal connections was key to the program’s realization.
“One of the core principles of the organizers is that we can’t be one-and-done,” she said. “[At the program] we are providing resources and we are encouraging every participant to consider what their next steps [toward racial justice] will be before leaving the Zoom room. We want people to really think about social change, equity and justice more than once a year.
“It’s a big job, and it can’t be done if we only work at it once a year.”
“Honoring Dr. King” is free but registration is required. To register and receive a Zoom link, visit JUFJ.org.
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