Township celebration begins at 9 a.m. Monday.
By: Lea Kahn
Maria Jones, the outgoing president of the Trenton chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, has been invited to give the keynote speech at the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration Monday.
The annual event, which is open to the public, begins at 9 a.m. with a continental breakfast in the Lawrence High School cafeteria, said Tricia Pinelli, a Lawrence High School English teacher who is coordinating the event.
The program, which lasts about 90 minutes, starts at 10 a.m. It will be held in the Lawrence High School auditorium. The public school district is closed in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
The purpose of the event is to help unite everyone and help maintain a focus on why it is important to gather together and reach out for a common goal, Ms. Pinelli said. The goal is to strive for equality, harmony and a sense of peace, beginning in our community, she added.
During her tenure as president, Ms. Jones has emphasized the importance of encouraging younger people to become active in the NAACP and to realize that there is still work to be done, Ms. Pinelli said.
To illustrate what can be done when folks work together, a video outlining the history of the Eggerts Crossing Village affordable housing development will be shown, Ms. Pinelli said. The video also discusses the partnership that Eggerts Crossing Village has developed with the Lawrence Neighborhood Service Center and the Lawrence Township public school district.
The event also includes a musical component Jesse Guidry, an Eggerts Crossing Village resident who is the featured singer, Ms. Pinelli said. The Lawrence High School Madrigal singers also will participate, she said.

