Contact: Ethel Garvin ethel.garvin@gmail.com (508) 527 -3260
King Committee of Greater Attleboro Hosts 39th Annual King Holiday Program
On Monday, January 19, 2026 the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Committee of Greater Attleboro will host its 39th annual commemoration of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.
The commemorative programs begin at 1:00 p.m. with a Municipal Program held at Attleboro City Hall, 77 Park Street. The program will feature local and state representatives and a performance by the Brennan Middle School Chorus under t he direction of Jacob Brunelle. .
At 2:00 p.m., the committee will host an interfaith service at Central Congregational Church,109 Commonwealth Avenue,Attleboro Falls.
The service will feature Meghan E. Irons, professor of the practice of impact journalism at Boston University , as the keynote speaker.
Irons will address the committees 2026 program theme: “The Sword That Heals: Protecting Freedom, Justice, and Democracy through Nonviolence.”
In his book, Why We Can’t Wait, in which the Rev. Dr. King chronicles the civil rights movements’ Birmingham Campaign, ing writes: “Nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon , which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields it. It is a sword that heals.”
As our nation continues to navigate challenges that test the strength of its democratic institutions, the committee chose to highlight one of the Rev. Dr. King’s most enduring messages: that everyday citizens hold the power to safeguard and renew our democracy. Irons will share with he citizen of Greater Attleboro how within them lies the power to retore and strengthen American’s democratic ideals and how each can execute that power locally, nationally, and most importantly, peacefully
Professor Irons is an award winning Boston social justice news reporter. Shetook the position at Boston University fter more than 20 years at The Boston Globe , where she was a member of the elite investigative unit, The Spotlight Team.
Irons was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for local reporting in 2020 for a series she co-wrote that explored economic opportunity for Boston’s valedictorians.
The interfaith service will also feature the “What the World Needs Now: Interfaith Coalition Singers , Greater Boston ; the Spirit of Excellence Dance Studio, Brockton ; And pianist Daniel Hill, Providence.
For attendees who are hearing-impaired , assisted listening devices will be available at the church. Also, attendees can download the free app, Ava Live Captioning for live transcription during the service.
A goodwill offering will be taken up during the service.
Half of the offering will be donated to a local charity. The remainder of the offering will fund the committee’s W. Duane Lockard Scholarship and its general operating fund.
Members of the committee include Sonia Aguiar, Attleboro; Pam Bliss, Attleboro; Jenifer Deandrade , Attleboro; Geraldine Fequiere, Attleboro, Ethel Garvin, Attleboro; Myra Kinds, Mansfield ; Melissa Martin, Attleboro; and Dawn McKetchnie, Attleboro.