Dozens of Port Washington residents were on hand for the One Port Community candlelit gathering, held at Manorhaven Park on Sunday,
Nov. 27.
The event was put together in order to celebrate cultural diversity within the Port Washington community.
“We’re here to celebrate Port Washington’s diversity and we’re here to honor its unity
through spoken word, through inspirational music and through our peaceful presence here, right now, together,” said Diane Venezia Livingston,
one of the event’s main organizers. “Tonight
we’re going to shine a light on the One Port community when we all light our candles in unison.”
In keeping with the theme of diversity, several speakers followed Livingston’s speech by reciting the same words in a different language. Recitations were made in Spanish, Chinese and Hebrew, among others. The event, which featured a poetry reading and performances by local musicians, was put together in only a week, thanks in part to the support of local politicians. Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Judi Bosworth and Councilwoman Dina De Giorgio were both in attendance and expressed their enthusiasm.
“What an honor it is to be here with all of you, as we stand up against bigotry and hatred, as we stand together to shine a light on what makes Port Washington the wonderful community it is,” said Bosworth.
“The thing that I love about Port Washington is that we lead by example,” De Giorgio added. “I really am so proud to be here and so proud to be living in Port Washington.”
In addition to the local performers, gospel singer and Queens resident Dawn Martin led the crowd through a performance of “Hallelujah”. Several of the activists expressed their hope that inviting someone outside the Port Washington community could lead to similar events in other communities. As the performances wound down and the sun set, the crowd raised their candles in unison and cheered.
