BHC celebrates ‘Our Beloved Community’

By KATELYN CORDERO
Posted 1/23/19

The Black History Committee (BHC) of the Hudson Valley hosted its annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Service on Monday. The theme for the committee in 2019 is “Our beloved …

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BHC celebrates ‘Our Beloved Community’

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The Black History Committee (BHC) of the Hudson Valley hosted its annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Service on Monday. The theme for the committee in 2019 is “Our beloved community...going forward.”

They kicked of the event event with a panel moderated by Executive Counsel Tiombe Tallie Carter, with Bishop Robert Diaz of The House of God, Pastor Baumgartner, of King of Kings Lutheran Church, Cynthia Gilkeson of Community Voices Heard and Pastor Ed Benson of the New Day Community Church.

“It was a great discussion to share information and resources,” said Diaz. “It was a nice thing and we want to spread empowerment to help people until they can help themselves.”

Each year the committee presents the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award to a member of the community. This year it was presented to Julie Nicholas, Workshop Coordinator.

“There are many people working in the community with different organizations and they do all kinds of work,” said President Sadie Tallie. “We are proud of them and we want to make sure today we acknowledge someone special who is worthy of that accomplishment. When we think about our beloved community...moving forward, [Julie] shows beyond reasonable doubt that [she] is truly a part of the beloved community.”

Nicholas runs children’s workshops for ages K-12 and music for BHC. She has been with the committee for 20 years, helping to educate children on their history.

“I can’t describe it, it’s so unbelievable,” said Nicholas. “I joined the committee because I think that we as black parents aren’t taking the time to share our history and to know the people who fought for where we are today. God raised these leaders to fight for us and we don’t want to forget those who died, and fought for our rights.”

Councilwoman Hilary Rayford spoke about the need for black history in the Newburgh Enlarged City School District. She is starting a petition to make black history part of the district’s curriculum.

“Today’s event celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King has always inspired me being African American,” said Rayford. “Fifty years (later) the needs are still the same, even more. For the City of Newburgh we still need jobs, we still need housing, people are without a voice they need a voice. These things inspired me. Knowing our history is one thing not knowing is another, that’s why I’m starting the petition for African American history to be put in the City of Newburgh school curriculum. It’s very important to me because Dr. Martin Luther King talked about equality of all nationalities.”