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The Porch Talks for a Beloved Community speaker series was held in Shaker Heights, Ohio, on August 23, marking its 60th anniversary. The event is a joint effort between East View United Church of Christ (UCC), Plymouth UCC, and Heights Christian Church. It brings together social justice leaders to encourage ongoing efforts toward justice and equality inspired by the vision of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., who addressed a crowd from these church steps in 1965.
This year’s keynote address was delivered by Rev. Velda Love, Minister for Racial Justice for the UCC. Rev. Monica Dawkins-Smith, interim pastor at East View UCC, described the evening as impactful and highlighted the sense of community present among attendees.
"It was a powerful evening with Rev. Dr. Velda Love as keynote speaker. Many attendees expressed gratitude for the wisdom she shared — particularly the words from our ancestors that reminded us we’ve faced challenges before and will persevere again…’we gon’ be alright!’ Looking around at the diversity of the community gathered, I couldn’t help but think of the Beloved Community that Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. envisioned when he spoke from our church’s porch nearly 60 years ago."
A new feature of this year’s program included scholarships awarded to winners of an MLK Essay Contest. First- and second-place winners were recognized during the event, with three first-place recipients presenting their essays in response to a prompt about ensuring equal opportunity within Greater Cleveland’s diverse community.
Rev. Dawkins-Smith noted that "Their thoughtful, creative, and practical ideas were especially timely, given the challenges DEI efforts face in our local schools and government." Local officials including Shaker Heights Mayor David Weiss and Police Chief Wayne Hudson attended to hear students' perspectives.
Music was provided by performances from both the Greater Cleveland Choral Chapter Youth and Young Adult Choir and a combined choir representing all three participating churches.
According to organizers, Porch Talks for a Beloved Community is an ecumenical initiative demonstrating collaboration among Heights Christian Church, Plymouth Church UCC, and East View UCC.
"Porch Talks for a Beloved Community is a collaborative (and ecumenical) initiative between three Shaker Heights congregations: Heights Christian Church, Plymouth Church UCC, and East View UCC—and Saturday was a wonderful example of what we can do together."
The full recording of this year’s event is available online through ucc.org.
