Unity Breakfast

Watertown will celebrate its fourteenth Unity Breakfast on
Monday, January 20, 2014.  The event brings  together hundreds of people,
representing Watertown’s
diverse population, to remember Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the man who devoted
his life to ending prejudice and racism in our country. The Unity Breakfast has
become a Watertown
tradition. This year’s keynote speaker is Monalisa Smith,
the Founder and President  of Mothers for
Justice and Equality, a Dorchester based non-profit
whose mission is to end neighborhood violence. 
The breakfast will include music, essays by middle and high school
students on the meaning of the day, and the annual Unity Award which is  presented to an individual or group who has
demonstrated outstanding service to the community.

Mothers for Justice and Equality is
a non-profit grassroots organization that aims to eliminate youth violence in Boston neighborhoods by
bringing together families and communities through education and engagement. Monalisa
Smith founded Mothers for Justice and Equality in 2010 following the loss of
her nephew to local violence. Through a “call to action,” she gathered fellow
mothers, many of whom were also suffering the loss of a child to violence, to
share their concern about the gross amount of violence against children
occurring within their neighborhoods. It was then that the group agreed upon
its mission to end neighborhood violence and began to believe that mothers can
become catalysts for change in their communities.  Since its founding, Mothers for Justice and
Equality has humanized homicide statistics through the sharing of personal
stories in various media forms throughout Boston,
established monthly Empowerment Meetings, and has engaged hundreds of local
people in marches and rallies in support of the cause.  They have received numerous awards, including
the Boston Globe 100 innovation award. 
More about their work can be found at www.mothersforjusticeandequality.org .

Music for
the breakfast will be provided by The Greater Boston
Intergenerational Chorus.  Under
the direction of Joanne Hammil, it is a diverse group of performers of all ages
who sing an eclectic, lively mix of music. 

The Unity Breakfast, sponsored by the World in Watertown in collaboration with
Survival Education Fund, Inc. and Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice and the
Environment, will be held on Monday, January 20, 2014 from 9:00 – 11:30
a.m. at the Hellenic Cultural Center, 25 Bigelow Avenue, Watertown.  Child care will be provided for
pre-schoolers. The Hellenic
Cultural Center
is handicap accessible. Tickets are $10 (children 12 and under free).  For group reservations call 617-924-6143 or
e-mail fpwatertown@comcast.net by January
14. Tickets will be available at the
door.