On Monday, January 19, 2026, nearly 200 neighbors braved the cold to link arms for Memorial Presbyterian Church’s 3rd Annual MLK Day Unity March & Cultural Celebration in Roosevelt, Long Island. Organized by Memorial Presbyterian Church (Long Island Presbytery, PC(USA)), the march honored the 40th observance of the federal holiday commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s enduring legacy of nonviolence, economic justice, and civil rights.
Beginning at 189 Babylon Turnpike, participants moved as one community for one mile to the Roosevelt Children’s Academy, joined by faith leaders, elected officials, civic groups, and social-service partners. Despite recent snow and frigid temperatures, conditions that kept numbers lower than usual, residents stepped off porches to join the procession, turning sidewalks into a living testimony of unity.
Immediately afterward, the Cultural Celebration lifted hearts with song, dance, and spoken word, spotlighting the diverse talents of Roosevelt’s youth. “I was pleased to have our young people take ownership and lead the Cultural Celebration,” said Rev. Scott B. Williams, Senior Pastor of Memorial Presbyterian Church. “This celebration spoke to our hearts and gave us hope for the future of our community and the future of our world.” Watching children lead—confident, creative, and courageous—was a tangible reminder of Dr. King’s conviction that the moral arc bends toward justice when the next generation is equipped to carry it.
How this day embodies Matthew 25
- Focus #1 — Building Congregational Vitality:
The march and celebration galvanized partnerships, rekindled neighborhood pride, and drew new participants into the church’s orbit of care. Worship-through-witness energized members and friends to serve together beyond the sanctuary walls. - Focus #2 — Dismantling Structural Racism:
Linking arms across churches, agencies, and community groups enacted Dr. King’s vision of the Beloved Community. Public witness in Roosevelt affirmed dignity, resisted division, and centered the leadership and gifts of young people of color. - Focus #3 — Eradicating Systemic Poverty:
With schools, nonprofits, and faith partners at the table, the event connected families to relationships and resources that address real needs—education, mentorship, stability, and pathways to opportunity.
Partners in the work
This year’s march was made possible through collaboration with the Freeport–Roosevelt NAACP, Zion Cathedral Church of God in Christ, The Cedarmore Corporation, Positive Impact Program, the Roosevelt Union Free School District, and the Roosevelt Children’s Academy—a coalition that reflects Dr. King’s insistence that justice requires all of us.
A continuing call
As a Matthew 25 people, we remember that what we do matters to God. Roosevelt’s MLK Day witness was more than an annual commemoration; it was a training ground for year-round service, advocacy, and neighbor love. From sidewalks to stages to sanctuaries, Memorial Presbyterian Church is shaping a future where children lead with courage, communities stand together, and hope takes to the streets.
“The time is always right to do what is right.” May this march—and the young voices that led it—call us to keep putting Matthew 25 into action in every town, school, and congregation across the Synod of the Northeast.
