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Release date: January 24, 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Local people are "Living the Dream" of civil rights leader

GCC hosts awards ceremony inspired by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

"The life work of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speaks volumes about his commitment to social justice,” says GCC President Robert L. Pura. "The mission and the principles by which Greenfield Community College operates reflects that same commitment. There are many people within this community who work hard throughout their lives committed to those same values, and these awards recognize their efforts.”

At the Martin Luther King Jr. Day observance hosted by Greenfield Community College, President Pura honored two local peoples and a trio of teens with awards inspired by the slain civil rights leader. "This year's recipients are classic examples of members of this community who work hard with a commitment to social justice,” says Pura.

Juanita Nelson of Deerfield received the second annual "Living the Dream” award. "The [selection] committee chose Juanita because they believe that truly she has spent a lifetime living the dream of Dr. King,” says Herb Hentz, who served on the selection committee along with President Pura, John Reamus, pastor of All Souls, La Wanza Lett-Brewington and Dwayne Brewington, last year's award recipients, and Kit Carpenter, GCC professor. "Juanita has lived a life of peaceful resistance to violence for over 50 years. She's also deeply committed to speaking out for justice and peace, not only locally but also throughout the world.”

Nelson worked with Dr. King Jr., and was a journalist who interviewed some of the freedom fighters of the 60s. "So she's always placed herself at the front lines and not backed away,” says La Wanza Lett-Brewington. "She has what I call that quiet strength.”

Robert "Chip” Wood, principal of Sheffield Elementary School in Turners Falls, was named honorary recipient of the Living the Dream award. Lett-Brewington characterizes Wood as a person who takes the lead on issues that impact the school and the community. "He's a doer.”

Nominated by his staff, Wood insists he's just part of a peacemaking team wherever he's been. "It was quite a surprise, but it allows me to talk about what it means for our school to receive an award that says we will be a living legacy of Dr. King's principles,” says Wood. "At Sheffield, we're working very hard at becoming a nonviolent community where kind ness is the order of the day and bullying and meanness and fighting are not tolerated.”

Wood cites two ways in which Sheffield promotes the principles of Dr. King. "One is the ‘responsive classroom' approach to classroom management which involves children in creating the rules for their classroom and the logical consequences for misbehavior, including how to fix problems so that they don't occur again. We also have a mediation program with trained mediation coordinators who have taught students hot to use the language of reconciliation and forgiveness rather than the language of bullying and harassment.”

Wood brought with him an interracial group of children and parents to receive the award on behalf of the Sheffield School.

New this year was the Bright Light award, created to shine a spotlight on emerging young peacemakers. "We wanted to recognize that there are young people who are just starting on their journey [of living Dr. King's dream],” says Lett-Brewington. This year's award honored the members of GRACE (Get Real and Create Equality), an anti-violence, anti-substance abuse teen group that is part of the Franklin Community Action Corp. youth programs. Honored were Jayme Conway, Adriana Lara and Ashley Wheeler, all of Greenfield.

Recently, the girls planned and put on a dinner for the residents of a battered women's shelter in town. "They had come up with an idea of how to ‘pamper' the women at the shelter, to show them that somebody cares about them,” says Sheila Rivera, violence prevention coordinator. "So they planned the menu, they solicited donations, went food shopping and then they cooked it all up themselves.” The menu featured spaghetti with made-from-scratch sauce, salad, garlic bread, and apple pie, all served restaurant-style. "The women were very, very happy,” recalls Rivera, "and surprised that kids so young could think of things like that. It says to me that these girls are really taking GRACE seriously; they are really into making a change in the community.”

The awards provide important encouragement to peacemakers, says Lett-Brewington. "What it's meant to me is recognition that my life's work is all about keeping Dr. King's dream alive in everything that I do. Just like when Dr. King was doing the work that he did, standing up against discrimination and oppression isn't necessarily popular, and so it was nice to be appreciated for making a difference in people's lives.”