The Melrose Messenger

Melrose Observes Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service

By Ellen Putnam

In spite of our largest snowfall so far this year, dozens of Melrosians still turned out for the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, hosted at Melrose Unitarian Universalist Church (MUUC) and at several other sites across the city. Participants were able to choose from activities supporting a variety of organizations, including The Milano Center, The Food Drive, Pantry of Hope, Bread of Life, and several Melrose churches.

The day began with breakfast at MUUC, and from there, participants headed to different sites or stayed at the Unitarian Church for a speaking program. At various sites, volunteers decorated cookies for Bread of Life, learned about The Food Drive’s community freezer program, shopped for Pantry of Hope, or cleaned The Milano Center, among other things. The day wrapped up with a pizza lunch back at MUUC and a program including a brief address from Mayor Jen Grigoraitis, a performance from the MLK Day Choir, and a community reading of the “I Have a Dream” speech.

This year, MLK Day coincided with the Presidential Inauguration, and the speaking program had a more political focus than some of the other activities did. The first speaker was Paul Belfanti, the president of the Immigrant Support Alliance, a Melrose-based organization that partners with organizations like Catholic Charities and Jewish Vocational Services to support recent immigrants and asylum seekers from countries like Uganda, Afghanistan, and Haiti.

Then Rebecca Zama, a Melrosian and immigration lawyer, discussed how the new administration might approach immigration, and how listeners could help friends or family who might be impacted. “Expect the worst, hope for the best, and be prepared,” Zama summarized. She discussed some of the misinformation around asylum-seeking, in particular, where applicants arrive in the United States before applying for asylum. “They are doing it the right way,” Zama explained, “that’s how you apply for asylum.”

“There’s a lot of uncertainty right now for people who are here legally in defined programs,” Zama went on. She emphasized that anyone on U.S. soil, regardless of legal status, has due process rights guaranteed by the Constitution, and there are a number of ways to support immigrants who are going through the legal system or concerned about their situation. “When we come together as a community,” Zama concluded, “we make ourselves stronger, to fight against what we know to be unjust. Each one of us has the power to work for good and to change a life.”

Finally, the Reparations for Melrose group spoke, discussing statistics related to Melrose’s Black population. Speaker Cory Allen explained that the historic practice of redlining, which denied mortgages to and excluded Black homebuyers from many desirable areas prior to the passage of the Fair Housing Act in 1968, and in practice for years afterward, contributed to the demographic makeup of Melrose today. “Melrose is white by design,” he argued, noting that only 2.2% of the population of Melrose is Black, compared to approximately 10% of the population of Massachusetts as a whole.

Speakers from the Reparations group shared statistics about education, including disproportionate rates of discipline for Black students and the absence of Black teachers in Melrose Public Schools; policing; and mortgages. They shared that Melrose Police Department Chief Kevin Faller has met with them to discuss racial disparities in policing, and that their group has spoken during public comment at School Committee meetings. They also expressed support for passing the Community Preservation Act in Melrose, which would dedicate funds for affordable housing, which in turn can increase diversity in a community.

“Martin Luther King Jr. Day comes at a critical moment this year,” shared Mayor Grigoraitis in her address at the end of the program. “Every individual has a role in improving the world, and we have a common responsibility to oppose injustice wherever we see it.”

The MLK Day Choir sang songs from South Africa and Haiti, along with “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” which is sometimes called the Black national anthem, and one of King’s favorite hymns, “Precious Lord, Take My Hand.”

Finally, members of the audience were given pieces of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, which they recited together. King’s words of hope and the struggle for justice in the face of challenges ring just as true today as they did when he wrote them.

Posted January 21st, 2025