Englewood's St. Bernard Hospital and Bethel Terrace Residents Celebrate Dr. King

Rev. Joel Washington (Khunanpu Sangoma)
Published: January 25, 2012

Just as there is a Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. thoroughfare running through every major African American community in the U.S. so too is Dr. King's memory enthusiastically honored by scores of events in diverse Black communities nationally. Two such events on Chicago's Southside, through which runs Martin Luther King Drive, were the 15th Annual King Humanitarian Award sponsored by St. Bernard Hospital & Health Care Center and the Langston Hughes Theater Ministry of Bethel Terrace dramatic reading of Dr. King's 1963 March on Washington Speech in the Craft Room of Englewood's unique Co-op Senior Housing Apartments-both on Friday, January 13, 2012 past.

This said the St. Bernard Hospital 2012 King Humanitarian Award recipient was Ms. Doris Jones, Teamwork Englewood New Communities Program Director. Jones, who has a three decades history of South Chicago community and faith-based activism, was recognized not only for her outstanding work sprouting, growing, and uniting diverse neighborhood initiatives on behalf of Teamwork Englewood, but for all she has done and is doing as a community and faith-based organizer on the Southside.

Said Ms Barbara Young, St. Bernard Community Relations executive, "Doris is a natural leader." Young also observed "Ms. Jones' commitment has spanned more than thirty years and is reflected in every area of her life including volunteering and fundraising for which she has been honored."

Cultural presentations at the St. Bernard King Award event were made by St. Benedict the African School Choir and Praise Dancers.

Meanwhile, at Bethel Terrace, just two blocks Northeast of Kennedy-College at the community's heart, Englewood's Langston Hughes Theater Ministry of the Senior Housing highrise remembered Dr. King by performing a dramatic reading of the Good Doctor's most celebrated but least popularly understood speech which is King's 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom oration. The senior theater group, Artistically Directed by Rev. Joel Washington (Khunanpu Sangoma) and featuring Mother Doris Arrington, also presented selections from Langston Hughes poetry known for its African American freedom movement and cultural thrust.

The Bethel Terrace King event was successfully organized by Ms. Carolyn Stewart, the Social Service Coordinator of Bethel Terrace Cooperative Senior Apartments.

Keywords: Bethel Terrace, St. Bernard Hospital, Teamwork Englewood