»Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Wreath Placement«

This past week included great recognitions of the impact and remembrances of Dr. King’s legacy. I was honored to join with the City in placing a wreath at Dr. King’s memorial at the Municipal Center and to share some brief remarks. In this year also celebrating 250 years since America’s founding, I recalled Dr. King’s words that he came to ‘cash the check’ written in the Declaration of Independence that ‘all men are created equal’, calling us to live up to that promise. And while we still strive to fulfill Dr. King’s dream, and the dream of America, we are encouraged and strengthened by his words and example which changed the course of our country for the better and propels us to continue the work.

(Photo: City of Laurel)

»MLK Day Celebration«

And what a celebration we had on MLK Day! The award-winning Laurel High School choir sang three pieces over the course of the program, talented spoken word and dance artists contributed their art, and the address of Mr. Cortland Jones reflected on Dr. King’s deep impact on his own personal life and trajectory. I was particularly touched by his stories illustrating the degree to which Dr. King, and those joining with him, had to suffer to advance the cause each step of the way, and Dr. King paying the ultimate price. Following the program, everyone chipped in to assemble care packages for seniors as part of Dr. King’s legacy of service. Thank you to Ms. Carreen Koubek from the City team for coordinating, for all those sharing their talents in the program, and our community for coming out to honor and serve.

Auto-generated description: A group of seven people is posing together in a gymnasium decorated with a balloon arch and a poster featuring a man's smiling face and the date January 19, 2026.

(Photo: City of Laurel)