From the Orange County Newsroom
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. understood that a great education was the foundation of an ethically and morally sound society as education expands one’s vision and develops capabilities to fight injustice. Dr. King believed through literacy, society could break out of the evils of racism and create equality for people of different castes, colors, and creeds.
Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings embraces this philosophy. That is why the Orange County MLK Initiative Book Club was launched in October 2020. The goal is to foster a love for literature by promoting books based on the values Dr. King embraced — education, kindness, fairness, and equality, love, selflessness, leadership, and hope.
The Book Club is the brainchild of the Education & Literacy sub-committee of the MLK Initiative, which Mayor Demings created to bring the message of Dr. King to unincorporated areas of Orange County and surrounding communities. The other MLK Initiative sub-committees include Community Engagement & Outreach, Diversity & Inclusion, and Marketing & Public Relations.
“Dr. King’s lifelong commitment to civil rights, nonviolence, and justice for all remains promising in today’s society,” said Mayor Demings. “Through inclusiveness and collaboration, the initiative will commemorate his work and legacy for years to come, and the book club promotes one of the things he placed great emphasis on — education.”
Book Club titles are selected by members of the MLK Initiative. Members are asked to suggest a book that has touched upon Dr. King’s values and has also inspired them professionally or personally. Residents are encouraged to participate by finding the selections in their local library. We hope these inspirational works will spark joy and provide feedback through social media via Facebook at Orange County Mayor and Twitter at OCFLMayor.
The Book Club features one book per month, which is announced on the second Wednesday of every month. To learn more about the MLK Initiative and the MLK Book Club, go to ocfl.net/MLK.
Recent MLK Book Club selections include:
January 2021: “Why We Can’t Wait” by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
December 2020: “The Nickel Boys” by Colson Whitehead
November 2020: “Small Great Things” by Jodi Picoult
October 2020: “The Servant Leader” by James A. Autry
Photo courtesy of Orange County Library System.
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