The Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County commemorated the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., bringing together the community to reaffirm shared values of justice, tolerance and moral courage.
Dozens of people celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day at the annual event, held at the center’s Glen Cove location on Monday, Jan. 19.
Bernie Furshpan, the center’s vice chairman, applauded those in attendance for the commemoration and said it is important to fight against discrimination.
“We’re here today to recommit to something. Something deeper than politics. Something deeper than headlines, Something deeper than slogans. We’re here to recommit to justice, to compassion and understanding,” he said.
Furshpan said the Holocaust began with words and not gas chambers, and that people should stand up for whatever injustices they see so that history does not repeat itself. He said Jews have historically partnered with the Civil Rights Movement in the United States and they remain committed to confronting prejudice and hate.
“Dr. King taught that the time is always right to do what is right,” Furshpan said.
Sheryl Goodine, a lifelong Glen Cove resident and civil rights activist, said her father marched alongside Martin Luther King Jr. on several occasions and it is important to continue fighting for those rights.
“Our country has become divided, perhaps more so than any time since the Civil War,” she said.
Assita Kanko, a member of the European Parliament, was the program’s keynote speaker, sharing her stories as a young child in Burkina Faso and how over the years she learned to stand up for what she believed was right and not be silent.
She said she was 16 years old when she first learned about Martin Luther King Jr.
“We also had that dream,” she said about wanting change in Burkina Faso in the late 1990’s. “It requires so much courage to have a dream.”
Kanko said she grew up learning that she needed to protect her dream and said she went to great lengths to pursue it becoming a reality.
She said that throughout her youth, she tried to become as educated as possible and when she saw an injustice, her voice was the first thing that she used to seek change. She said this translated to her career as a politician, saying that we need to support the people who are fighting for human rights.
“The freedom to think is still a battle that we need to win,” Kanko said.
She also relayed the same message about the importance that Martin Luther King Jr. had on the world.
“Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. showed the world that moral courage means standing up for others, not only for yourself,” Kanko said. “We must confront hatred, extremism, antisemitism, and violence against women wherever it exists, and we must do so with clarity, strength, and unity.”
Several elected officials attended the center’s commemoration, including Glen Cove City Mayor Pam Panzenbeck, City Council Member Michael Ktistakis, North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jen DeSena and Nassau County Legislator Deputy Minority Leader Arnold Drucker.
