The annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Commemorative Celebration took place in Red Bank Jan. 19, where attendees were encouraged to remain engaged in the work King championed. Speakers from religious, political and cultural realms addressed a large audience, and later joined hands to sing “We Shall Overcome.” Read more on page 4. Photo by Patrick Olivero 
Pilgrim Baptist Church pastor Rev. Terrence K. Porter. Photo by Patrick Olivero 
Peter-Donnell Boynton. Photo by Patrick Olivero 
Hadassah Broughton. Photo by Patrick Olivero 
Dancers from the Calpulli Mexican Dance Community. Photo by Patrick Olivero 
Members of the audience at the event. Photo by Patrick Olivero
By Patrick Olivero
RED BANK – Community members from across the Two River area gathered at the Count Basie Center for the Arts Vogel Theater for the annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Commemorative Celebration, a program that blended prayer, music, dance and civic reflection with a clear call to remain engaged in the work King championed.
The Jan. 19 event, hosted by Pilgrim Baptist Church of Red Bank in partnership with the Count Basie Center for the Arts and the Parker Family Health Center, brought together clergy, elected officials, students and local organizations for an afternoon focused on service, justice and community responsibility.
Opening the program, Pilgrim Baptist Church Pastor Rev. Terrence K. Porter welcomed the audience and emphasized the importance of caring for neighbors facing housing and health challenges, noting that the church’s Open Comfort Center provides emergency shelter when temperatures fall below freezing.
“We are grateful because Pilgrim, with the help of the John Bon Jovi Foundation, we’ve been able to establish the Open Comfort Center, a warming center for men and women,” Porter said, describing it as “a space of love, a space of safety” where people can find dignity and access to basic services.
Throughout the program, clergy members offered prayers and scripture readings, while soloists from Red Bank Regional High School and Neptune High School performed musical selections honoring King’s legacy.
The audience also heard from Hadassah Broughton, the 2025 New Jersey Poetry Out Loud State Champion, who delivered a powerful, heartfelt reading of Langston Hughes’ “Let America Be America Again,” connecting the poem’s enduring message to ongoing struggles for equality and belonging. Dancers from the Calpulli Mexican Dance Community also took to the stage, performing traditional dances that added a cultural dimension to the remembrance.
Red Bank Mayor Billy Portman addressed the audience with remarks that connected King’s words to current events and local immigration enforcement concerns, urging residents to consider what it means to be a good neighbor in challenging times. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. This is not just a celebration today. This is a call to action,” Portman said, adding that protecting vulnerable residents requires continued attention and involvement from the community.
U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-6) also spoke, reflecting on King’s belief in democracy and civic participation, particularly the importance of voting and speaking out against injustice.
“The promise or the dream that Dr. King talked about is something we always have to strive for,” Pallone said, adding that progress requires ongoing effort and public engagement.
The program’s keynote address was delivered by Peter-Donnell Boynton, director of the Monmouth County Department of Human Services, who framed his remarks around King’s concept of the “two Americas” and the responsibility of communities to bridge persistent gaps in opportunity.
“We must commit ourselves not just to doing good, but to doing the most good,” Boynton told the audience, calling for intentional service, closer connection with affected communities and institutional change that addresses root causes of inequality.
He urged residents to assess where they direct their time and resources, to amplify the voices of those directly impacted by social challenges, and support policies that promote equity in housing, health care and education.
Between speeches, the audience responded with sustained applause and moments of quiet reflection as speakers linked King’s legacy to present-day struggles with food insecurity, access to health services and economic stability.
The event concluded with a moment of collective solidarity as community leaders and attendees locked arms and sang “We Shall Overcome,” echoing the civil rights anthem that has long symbolized peaceful resistance and shared determination.
The article originally appeared in the January 22 – 28, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.
