Includes Presentation by Author and Nationally Renowned Speaker Dr. Janet Dewart Bell
The Schenectady County Human Rights Commission (SCHRC) will host its annual Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. observance virtually on Sunday, January 17, 2021 at 2pm. This event is free, open to the public, and will stream live through the County’s youtube channel, www.youtube.com/SchenectadyCounty.
The theme of the SCHRC event is Civil Rights Then and Now, which was conceived for New York State’s 2021 celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
“On behalf of the Schenectady County Human Rights Commission, I’d like to thank Dr. Janet Dewart Bell and Ken Screven for taking the time to participate in this important community event,” said Arthur Butler, Executive Director of the Schenectady County Human Rights Commission. “SCHRC believes this celebration of Dr. King’s life is an ideal time to bring the stories about forgotten and overlooked women of the Civil Rights movement to the forefront. We cannot go ahead unless we are willing to look back, but not go back. SCHRC is determined to ‘Light the Fires of Freedom’ in Schenectady County alongside our distinguished speaker and educator.”
Dr. Janet Dewart Bell is the author of the critically acclaimed book, Lighting the Fires of Freedom: African American Women in the Civil Rights Movement, a 2019 nominee for the NAACP Image Award and cited as a notable book by The New York Times.
Master of Ceremonies for the event, retired CBS 6 News Capital Bureau Chief Ken Screven, recently received the Albany Damien Center’s 2020 Hero Award for his contributions to the community.
Additional information about the event is available at www.schenectadycounty.com/human-rights.
Schenectady County Human Rights Commission
The Schenectady County Human Rights Commission 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.