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Interfaith celebration begins weeklong Martin Luther King Jr. event

Leonard Rowe, right, and Sherman Matthews sing along with "Lift Every Voice and Sing!" during an interfaith celebration in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., at Mercy Junction Justice & Peace Center on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017, in Chattanooga, Tenn. The celebration is the first of five days of events to honor the late Dr. King.
Leonard Rowe, right, and Sherman Matthews sing along with "Lift Every Voice and Sing!" during an interfaith celebration in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., at Mercy Junction Justice & Peace Center on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017, in Chattanooga, Tenn. The celebration is the first of five days of events to honor the late Dr. King. Leonard Rowe, right, and Sherman Matthews sing along with "Lift Every Voice and Sing!" during an interfaith celebration in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., at Mercy Junction Justice & Peace Center on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017, in Chattanooga, Tenn. The celebration is the first of five days of events to honor the late Dr. King.

By Yolanda Putman 5 min read

Dr. King dreamed of inclusiveness," Williams said. "However, one of the major divides is between those who are religious and those who are not. A way to break down the divisive lines is through storytelling, so tonight we will have distinguished guests share their stories.

M.L. King Jr. celebration activities

Thursday7 p.m. — Community Forum moderated by Kevin Muhammad at Eastdale Village Community Church, 1402 Tunnel Blvd.Friday7 p.m. — Claud Anderson speaks on empowering the black community at New Monumental Baptist Church, 901 Woodmore Lane. Event co-sponsored by Chattanooga Sankofa. Tickets are $10. Unity Group is asking people to wear dashikis to the event.Saturday9 a.m. — Prayer Breakfast with Ana Garcia-Ashley of Gamaliel Community Network at Second Missionary Baptist Church, 2305 E. Third St. Tickets are $25.Monday8:30 a.m. — The Chattanooga Office of Multicultural Affairs hosts an MLK Day of Service. Volunteers are asked to check in between 8:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. at Glass House Collective near the corner of Glass Street and North Chamberlain Avenue. Service projects begin at 9 a.m. and should end by noon or earlier. For more information or to register online go to bit.ly/MLKDayCHA2017.11 a.m. — Techtown offers an introduction to robotics, film and circuitry for youth ages 7 and older. The event is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center at 200 E. M.L. King Blvd.3:15 p.m. — M.L. King Day March and main program. March lineup starts at 3:15 p.m. in the Urban League parking lot on M.L. King Boulevard and Peeples Street. March starts at 4 p.m. Main program starts at 5 p.m. at the Tivoli Theatre at 709 Broad St. Charles Steele, CEO and president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, is the main speaker.

“Don’t talk to strangers,” is the rule most children are taught regardless of their economic, religious or racial background, said the Rev. Charlotte S. Williams, vice president of the Unity Group of Chattanooga. But on Tuesday night, she challenged the more than 50 people attending the Interfaith Martin Luther King Jr. celebration to break that rule.

She challenged all of them to sit next to someone they didn’t know and eat together after the interfaith service.

“We live in such isolation,” said Williams, pastor of Eastdale Village Community United Methodist Church. “We have so many phobias and so many ‘-isms’, and that is destroying us.”