Martin Luther King Jr. once noted that "we are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied into a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly." Near the end of his life, the civil rights leader also spoke of his concern about the environment that people of all backgrounds share in the North's urban areas.
In recognition of the connections that King had begun to make between civil rights and the natural environment, the Peabody Museum of Natural History has joined with several community organizations to present a day-long, indoor festival titled "Dr. King's Legacy of Environmental Justice: A Drum and Poetry Perspective."
The event, which will be held 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 20, is also sponsored by the New Haven Departments of Public Health, Parks and Recreation, and Public Works; the New Haven Housing Authority; the Dixwell Community House; L.E.A.P., the Eastview Learning Center; and the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection.
The family-oriented festival will offer participants an opportunity to learn about issues of environmental equity and urban health. There will be interactive displays and other information on local ecological efforts, as well as community gardening, local farms, inner-city canoeing and the state park system.
In keeping with King's legacy as an orator and his appreciation of a range of American traditions, the festival will also include an "Environmental Hip Hop Poetry Slam," with special guest poets Naomi Ayala and Ngoma; performances by African, Latino and Native American drumming groups; storytelling; and other intercultural activities. The day's activities will also include a museum treasure hunt with prizes and other children's activities.
Admission to the museum will be free to all on the day of the festival. There will also be free transportation to the Peabody Museum from the city's Housing Authority sites, and a free shuttle from the Peabody to the Dixwell Community House, which is also celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a host of events.
The Peabody Museum of Natural History is located at 170 Whitney Ave. It is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and noon-5 p.m. on Sunday. For information on admission, call the InfoTape at 432-5050. For further information about the museum's King Day festival, call 432-3776.