
Members of the Westborough High School Choral Union perform “Crowded Table” by The Highwaymen during the annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration at Westborough High School on Monday, Jan. 20. (Photo/Maureen Sullivan)
WESTBOROUGH – With a thunder of drums, the seventh annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration turned parts of Westborough High School into a place of encouragement, affirmation and communication.
More than 100 adults and children took part in several activities, from a drum circle to a facilitated conversation, focusing on the theme “Purpose, Partnership and Power: The Path to Civic Well-Being.”
The guest speaker was Jerren Chang, president and CEO of Partners in Democracy. He cited King several times, especially from King’s final book, “Where Do We Go from Here?”
Like King, Chang spent some time in Chicago, and like King, he noticed a disconnect between those who hold power in office and the communities they are supposed to serve.

More than 100 adults and children took part in a facilitated conversation about “Purpose, Partnership and Power: The Path to Civic Well-Being,” part of the annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration at Westborough High School on Monday, Jan. 20. (Photo/Maureen Sullivan)
Some participants in the facilitated conversation noted other disconnects, such as social media, TV, video games and misinformation.
The answer, according to the facilitators and participants, is to connect – with family, friends and neighbors, and with local leaders.
For state Sen. Michael Moore, the event is “a reminder of the power each of us holds … Don’t let anyone silence your voice.”
Veronica Njuguna, a senior at Westborough High and member of the Black Student Union, said that knowing about King and learning about other Black figures help “empower our identity.”
As part of the celebration’s musical program, the high school’s Choral Union performed “Crowded Table” by The Highwaymen.
Children’s activities included a storytelling session featuring the children’s book “The Artivist,” about a youth learning to inspire others through artwork.
Drummer Ota Day taught the crowd a song from Liberia, “Funga” (meaning welcome). He then demonstrated the power of connectedness by beating his drum like a heartbeat.
“We’re all connected,” he said. “We’re all singers and drummers.”
He later led children in a drum circle in the high school lobby.
This year’s celebration was co-sponsored by Westborough Interfaith Clergy, Westborough Public Schools, Central MA Connections in Faith and Westborough Connects.

As part of the annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration at Westborough High School on Monday, Jan. 20, there was an art display illustrating King’s words. (Photo/Maureen Sullivan)