WEST WINDSOR: Township sets conversation on principles of social justice

By Allison Musante, Staff Writer
   WEST WINDSOR — For Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday this year, actions will speak louder than words.
   On Monday, the community is invited to participate in a workshop at the West Windsor branch of the Mercer County Library from 2 to 4:30 p.m. The event, “A Community Conversation Towards Building Justice in Our Global Community,” is co-sponsored by the township Human Relations Council and the school district’s African-American Parent Support Group. Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh and Superintendent Victoria Kniewel will join participants for a dialogue on social issues, with the end goal of implementing a community-wide change.
   Participants will break into groups to discuss the issues of peace, environment, education, intergenerational relations, poverty and human rights. Groups will present one idea that can be implemented on a local scale and involves an initiative that addresses an injustice and helps strengthen community relations. With the help of Mayor Hsueh, one project will be selected at the end of the workshop and implemented as a community engagement initiative and community service project involving youth and other stakeholders across the community and school district.
   ”The goal of the program is to engage participants to examine how Dr. King’s core principal of fighting injustice can be applied on a local level in our efforts to build a beloved community in our lifetime,” the mayor said.
   Superintendent Kniewel, who will be the facilitator of the group discussion on education, said it is important for children to become globally aware and responsible citizens.
   ”Participation in civic engagement activities about injustice and inequality helps our students to attain this core competency and embraces Dr. King’s teachings,” she said.
   The program is free and open to the public. Students are urged to attend and will receive community service recognition. An arts and crafts program for pre-school to third-grade children will be offered for parents’ convenience. A reception will immediately follow the program.
   The library is located at 333 North Post Road in West Windsor.