Fairfield resident Steve Bogan looked on, as Fairfield First Selectman Christine Vitale read a proclamation at the Fairfield Public Library Wednesday, recognizing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a call to service. Vitale called on residents to become more active within their communities.
Bogan, who served on the town’s now defunct Racial Equity and Justice Task Force, said part of honoring King’s legacy revolves around caring for one another and forging connections.
“There’s a lot going on in this society, and a lot of negatives and we’re focusing on building community and it’s all about service,” Bogan said.
The ceremony, the first of its kind held at the Fairfield Public Library, is part of a town initiative to encourage more residents to volunteer with several local nonprofits and advocacy organizations.
Bogan, Vitale and others say those acts of service can help residents gain a level of agency they otherwise would not have, during a time of civil unrest across the country.
Vitale says Fairfield is well suited to honor the community service aspect of King’s legacy, noting many Fairfield residents volunteer with various organizations.
But the proclamation, honoring a man who advocated for racial equality, comes amid a time of sustained protests over federal deportation efforts, in Connecticut and other states.
Vitale said part of becoming involved also means accountability.
“I look around what's going on in our country right now, and the need for peaceful protest and to speak out when we see injustice is more relevant and important than ever,” Vitale said.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is commonly commemorated as a day to honor the legacy of the civil rights leader, but the holiday, which has been a federally recognized since 1983, was designed as a call to service from the beginning.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day, according to the Library of Congress, is the only official national service holiday.
Scott Jarzombek, director of the Fairfield Public Library, said King is one of his heroes. Jarzombek said there is power in being able to take action at the bottom.
“We're in a moment where we're feeling a little helpless, a loss of control, and we don't know who's necessarily in charge and who's watching the ship,” Jarzombek said.
But the road from volunteering to effecting national change has to start somewhere, Jarzombek said. It might as well start within.
“We can make changes in our personal life in a positive way,” Jarzombek said. We can make changes in the community in a positive way, and then that grows from there.”
