On Sunday, January 19, the day before the 2025 Dr. Martin Luther King holiday, St. Dominic hosted the city ofShaker Heights for an event commemorating the holiday. Participants at the event — titled “Achieving the Beloved Community:  It Starts with Me”— shared a meal and conversation.  

The conversation centered aroundDr. King’s goal of creating a “Beloved Community,” or a society rooted injustice, equality and love, where people live free from oppression, violence and hatred. It consists of five pillars: (1) eliminating all forms of prejudice and discrimination; (2) zero tolerance for poverty, hunger, and homelessness; (3) achieving international standards for the quality of human life; (4) recognizing that economic and social justice are vital for a healthy society; and (5) resolving conflict through peaceful and non-violent means.  The participants shared what they are doing that aligns with the pillars, as well as what challenges they face when trying to live the pillars.

The conversations heard in ourSt. Dominic School cafeteria were robust and authentic.  Participants were reminded that the work of creating a “Beloved Community” is an ongoing journey.  We are all members of different communities —a faith community, an educational or professional community, and a neighborhood, to name a few — and those communities are the perfect place for us to work toward them becoming beloved.  And now is the perfect time!  What will you do in your communities to make them beloved?          

If you would like to read more about Dr. King’s vision, here are a few books:

·     “The Beloved Community: How Faith Shapes Social Justice, from the Civil Rights Movement to Today" by Charles Marsh.

·     “A More Perfect Union: A New Vision for Building the Beloved Community” by Adam Russell Taylor.

·     “The Abundant Community: Awakening the Power of Families and Neighborhoods” by John McKnight and Peter Block.

·     “Hope is Here: Spiritual Practices for Pursuing Justice and Beloved Community” by Luther E. Smith.

Or, if you prefer to hear Dr. King explain the concept in his own words, there is his book “Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community,” originally published in 1967.