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Schenectady County Human Rights Commission Announces 2022 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration

Schenectady County Seal

The Schenectady County Human Rights Commission (SCHRC) will host its annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. observance at 3pm on Sunday, January 16, 2022. This event will stream live through the County’s YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/SchenectadyCounty.

The theme of the SCHRC event is Promise & Opportunity, which was conceived for New York State’s celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The program will include a video presentation, musical selections provided by the SUNY Schenectady School of Music, a keynote speech from Dr. Cheryl Renée Gooch, Vice President for Academic Affairs at SUNY Schenectady and presentations from local elected officials and community leaders.

“We invite the community to join us via YouTube for our annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Observance Ceremony and thank all the presenters for participating in this important event,” said Arthur Butler, Executive Director of the Schenectady County Human Rights Commission. “It is said that if opportunity doesn’t knock, you build a door. For this year’s theme – Promise & Opportunity – we know that the only way to see what’s on the other side is by walking through those doors with a commitment to making a change, being open to the possibilities and being honest about our future. And a big thanks to SUNY Schenectady and President Dr. Steady Moono for their support of this event.”

“At a time when voting rights are under siege and America is a nation divided, it is important now more than ever to reflect on and celebrate Dr. King’s message of freedom and racial unity,” said Lieutenant Governor Brian Benjamin. “I am honored to join the Schenectady County Human Rights Commission’s 2022 Martin Luther King Jr. day celebration.” 

Presenters

  • Dr. Cheryl Renée Gooch, Vice President for Academic Affairs at SUNY Schenectady – Keynote Speaker
  • Lt. Governor Brian Benjamin
  • Congressman Paul Tonko
  • Schenectady County Legislator and Human Rights Commissioner Philip Fields
  • Will Rivas, Founder of C.O.C.O.A. House
  • Pastor Ronald Butler
  • Rabbi Spitzer of Congregation Agudat Achim and Human Rights Commissioner

Dr. Cheryl Renée Gooch is an academic leader, professor and published scholar who is passionate about cultural history. She joined SUNY Schenectady as Vice President for Academic Affairs in May 2021, having spent more than 20 years in higher education as a Professor, Department Chairperson, Campus Director, and Academic Dean at two- and four-year institutions serving diverse student populations, including traditional and post traditional, minority, first-generation, and international students. Dr. Gooch is the author of On Africa’s Lands: The Forgotten Stories of Two Lincoln Educated Missionaries in Liberia and Hinsonville’s Heroes: Black Civil War Soldiers of Chester County, Pennsylvania.

Additional information about the event is available at www.schenectadycounty.com/human-rights.

Schenectady County Human Rights Commission

The SCHRC was established in 1965 to foster mutual respect and enhance understanding among all racial, religious and ethnic groups in Schenectady County, and to assist individuals in securing their legal rights.