Great Barrington — Multiple Berkshire County events celebrated the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. from Friday, January 17, through Monday, January 20.
The majority of the events commemorating King were organized by Multicultural BRIDGE (Berkshire Resources for Integration of Diverse Groups through Education). Founded by Gwendolyn VanSant, who now serves as its CEO, the organization’s mission is to advance “equity and justice by promoting cultural competence, positive psychology, and mutual understanding and acceptance. The organization acts as a catalyst for change through collaboration, education, training, dialogue, fellowship, and advocacy.”
The events included a church service at Macedonia Baptist Church on Sunday, January 18.
On Monday, January 19, a public reading of King’s speech honoring W.E.B. Du Bois was held in front of the Du Bois sculpture at the Mason Library in Great Barrington.
BRIDGE also organized a Day of Service featuring multiple community projects in King’s honor throughout Great Barrington on January 19. In one such project, volunteers painted Macedonia Baptist Church.
Meanwhile, student volunteers from Buxton School in Williamstown helped Multicultural BRIDGE sort books from the organization’s Solidarity Library. According to Multicultural BRIDGE CEO Gwendolyn VanSant, over 800 books, including many on historical civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and W.E.B. Du Bois, have been donated to the organization’s library. Students also created posters based on King’s speeches.
“This is a really important weekend, because Dr. King talked about creating a ‘Beloved Community,’” VanSant told The Berkshire Edge. “BRIDGE is really about creating a beloved community through our solidarity projects. It’s really important to me, as a civil rights leader, to bring people together to have conversations about their freedoms and what it means to be safe in a community. It’s important for me to see young people feeling like they can be involved and make a difference in communities.”
VanSant said she hopes Dr. King’s work will continue to inspire future generations. “I am inspired by him to work hard, to work humbly, and to be a leader in whatever way that you can,” she said. “I am also inspired by him to fight injustice and to do what it takes in a way that doesn’t harm other people, and really stand for justice.”
“On Martin Luther King’s birthday, I take a lot of pride in his work, but I also realize that his work has not finished,” said State Rep. Leigh Davis (D – 3rd Berkshire District). “We’ve come very far, but we have to remind ourselves that it’s really the strength of the community that will pull us through the hard times. This is a hard time, but the pendulum, I believe, will swing back in the right direction. We have to pull together as a community to help the most vulnerable and each other.”
Davis said she hopes people will learn about “humanity, faith, and the power of community” through King’s work.
BRIDGE Board member Veronica Fenton said she hopes King’s work will teach people about how to lift up marginalized voices, especially those voices fighting for justice and freedom. “We always are learning about how we need to learn about our true history,” she said. “We need to learn about the history of our leaders and education, along with the contributions of people from all walks of life. Unfortunately, we often have systems that are trying to silence these voices. In 2026, now more than ever, we need to keep fighting for justice and freedom.”
For more information about Multicultural BRIDGE, visit its website.
