Editor’s Note: Because there is a chance of bad weather Sunday night, the breakfast has been moved to 11 a.m. at Belmont High School.
The 31st annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Breakfast is on Monday. It is the first in-person event since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Co-sponsored by Belmont Against Racism (BAR) and the Belmont Human Rights Commission, the event celebrates King’s vision of an integrated society.
According to Didier Moïse, president of BAR, the breakfast brings the community together.
“It is important to come together and celebrate shared values. The idea that you ought to be able to live in a society where people can exchange ideas is important,” Moïse said. “In some communities, they call it Unity breakfast, and for a reason. It’s the idea of people coming together in unison from diverse backgrounds and celebrating something meaningful and important for the community.”
The keynote speaker is Jeneé Osterheldt of The Boston Globe. There will be fundraising appeals for the METCO program and a choir performance by Belmont Middle and High School students.
BAR was formed in 1992 after the Los Angeles Riots and has grown to include advocacy for LGBTQ rights and opposition to anti-semitic and anti-Asian hate.
“BAR has been the bridge that’s tried to connect the gap between what the school system can do to combat those things,” Moïse said. “We have funded different programs, for instance, for teacher training and making sure they’re equipped to address certain things. So we are focused mainly on trying to maintain a community where people feel included.”
Moïse said racism still exists in society, permeating all manner of social structures.
“I don’t really see a Belmont without BAR because it is such an integral part of what we do, particularly in the school system behind the scenes, it is crucial to this town,” Moïse said. “There’s a lot of work that needs to be done. We could use more than one BAR if I have to be honest, but we have to make do with what we have.”
The Annual MLK Day Breakfast begins at 11 a.m. on Jan. 20 at Belmont High School.
