A day of new experiences and renewing a tradition with old friends, Martin Luther King Jr. remembrance day in York was marked with the 41st Annual MLK Day of Service at Crispus Attucks and the I Have a Dream Conference at the YMCA TechRev Center sponsored by the Advantage Program.
It was the first time the annual event, in its fifth decade, was held as a large group at Crispus Attucks since the pandemic halted in-person gatherings. It was also the first-ever I Have a Dream Conference.
The MLK Day of Service handed the Living the Dream Award to Kayla Williams, The York City School District Wellness Wednesday Program and Jenifer Hernandez-Vargas. The annual program with entertainment and breakfast ended with volunteers signing up for a day of service.
More:Hear Jenifer Hernandez-Vargas’ story
The I Have a Dream Conference was organized around 60 young men and their families with The Advantage Program, Tavon Parker, entrepreneur and founder of the Advantage Program said. The Advantage Program is a youth mentorship program geared to expose middle- and high-school-age children to life’s opportunities, according to its website.
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“What most people are starting to realize is that it’s only the CA that does something in York (on MLK day), so we just wanted to offer another opportunity for the community,” Parker said. Parker added that he grew up with Crispus Attucks programs.
The program began with music and performance by the Temple Guard and Kenyon L. Portee Sr., a poetry reading by Jerald Proctor Sr. and a Martin Luther King Jr. presentation by Jamiel Alexander, president of the York Branch of the NAACP. The group program was followed by Youth and adult educational sessions.
“We are the change we want to see,” Alexander said, ending his talk to the group.
