Rethinking Justice, Non-violence & Capital Punishment

Parish House, First Church in Roxbury
10 Putnam Street, Roxbury MA
(the “white church on the hill,” near Dudley Square & Madison Park High School)

“I Dream a World”

— by Langston Hughes

I dream a world where man/No other man will scorn,
Where love will bless the earth/And peace its paths adorn.
I dream a world where all/Will know sweet freedom's way,
Where greed no longer saps the soul/ Nor avarice blights our day.
A world I dream where black or white,/Whatever race you be,
Will share the bounties of the earth/And every man is free,
Where wretchedness will hang its head/And joy, like a pearl,
Attends the needs of all mankind—
Of such I dream, my world!

It’s January, the first month of the New Year. Named for the Roman god, Janus, this month is a time for anticipation and reappraisal—looking back in order to confidently move forward. As always, D7’s January Roundtable will honor the activist legacy of Dr. ML King, Jr. by discussing ideas and plans for new community-wide actions in the spirit of The Dream.

January’s Roundtable will spotlight the “I Dream a World Campaign,” an annual youth initiative—inspired by Dr. King’s life and work and the words of poet-author-activist Langston Hughes—featuring the art and writing of young people across the nation on themes of justice and non-violence. This year’s campaign will focus on the issue of the violence inherent in the prison system, particularly in the use of capital punishment.

As usual, we encourage you can come early for coffee and pastries and plan to stay for lunch.