Carmel celebrates King Day virtually
CARMEL, Ind. (WISH) — On Monday evening, Carmel planned to have a virtual celebration of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
Event organizers said their goal was to bring a message of unity and social justice. The event was set to begin at 6 p.m. on the city’s YouTube and Facebook pages as well as local cable TV stations.
Event organizers say the virtual event was focused on King’s message of economic and social justice as well as nonviolent protests. They wanted people watching to understand that the message is as compelling today as it was the 1960s.
Mayor Jim Brainard and Dee Thornton of the Mayor’s Advisory Commission on Human Relations were to lead the event. It was to include special performances by the KJI Institute for the Arts, the Carmel Interfaith Alliance, and the Actors Theatre of Indiana. Thornton says Americans are still working for a better nation so these kinds of conversations about King are critical moving forward.
“We know that if we do not understand and take time to remember the past, then history very frequently, very often repeats itself,” Thornton said.
Thornton also said she hopes the event will bring communities together. She adds King was an American hero and that his story is one we can all learn from.
“We’re hoping that people will come in community with one another and that events like these can bring communities together in a greater sense of understanding,” Thornton said.
Event organizers say this year they hoped to reach a broader audience.