Senator Helming Attends Martin Luther King Jr. Day Ceremony in Geneva

GENEVA – Senator Pam Helming attended the 47^th annual Martin Luther King Memorial Service, which was hosted by the Martin Luther King Committee and the Geneva Area Interfaith Council, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 15 at First United Methodist Church in Geneva. With a theme of “Honoring the Dream,” the annual ceremony paid tribute to the legacy of civil rights movement leader Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by people of all backgrounds to put aside their differences and come together as a community. Senator Helming had the opportunity to address the gathering and present a New York State Senate Proclamation to commemorate the occasion.

“Dr. King once said, ‘Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.’ As true as these words were during Dr. King’s leadership of the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s, they ring just as true in today’s world where we see much division and conflict. We must continue to honor Dr. King’s legacy today and every day by laying aside the differences in our cultural and religious backgrounds and political affiliations and remembering that we are one people and one community. It was great to join the congregation at the First Methodist Church in paying tribute to Dr. King and his outstanding work, but we must carry the lessons he left behind everywhere we go and in everything we do. Thank you to the Martin Luther King Committee and the Geneva Area Interfaith Council for inviting me to this fantastic event, and thank you to Rev. Dr. Norvel Goff Sr. for delivering such an excellent speech,” Senator Helming said.