SOMA Living December 2022

COMMUNITY COALITION The Luminary Project Turns Ten: Bringing neighborhoods together to honor the work of Dr. King

Every year, the South Or ang e/Map l ewood Community Coalition on Race invites the community to light up the outside of their homes or businesses with luminaries as the sun sets on Dr. Martin Luther

King, Jr.’s birthday. The goal is for thousands of homes in SOMA to be lit up as a sign of hope, sanctuary, peace, and solidarity with Dr. King’s vision of the “Beloved Community”. The luminaries are white paper bags, with tea lights inside, that can be decorated with images of peace and community. To participate, you may purchase a pack of four luminaries from the Coalition, for a suggested donation of $10. The Luminary Project offers a moment to reflect on Dr. King’s legacy and share that moment with neighbors. Dr. King frequently spoke of forming a “Beloved Community” as an outcome of social justice. This ideal was a global vision in which, “poverty, hunger, and homelessness will not be tolerated because international standards of human decency will not allow it…prejudice, cruelty, and greed are replaced with an all-inclusive spirit of friendship and goodwill.” Each year of the program, over 2,000 luminaries are lit throughout SOMA neighborhoods, at Seton Hall University, all around the Meadowland Park Pond, and in front of buildings and businesses. South Orange resident Patricia Canning started the project and it continues to be led by a team of women from South Orange and Maplewood. The volunteers work with local youth groups to create the kits, oversee neighborhood luminary leaders, and recruit businesses to be luminary purchase sites. Interested in getting involved? Email MLKLuminaryProject@gmail.com to purchase kits and to learn how to be a neighborhood luminary leader. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is January 16, 2023.

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