The Dismantling Racism Committee at St. Luke’s has planned a special Martin Luther King Jr. Day event at the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts.

In partnership with the Young Women’s Christian Association and the I.D.E.A. Coalition of Chautauqua County, the Dismantling Racism Committee is planning a public screening of the film “Who We Are.”

Marion Beckerink, chairwoman of the committee, described the film as a documentary film hosted by Jeffery Robinson, deputy director of the ACLU. Beckerink said the film utilizes a historical perspective to show how racism has “permeated” society from the time of slavery even to the present day. While improvements have been made in society, Beckerink said racial justice still faces adversity today.

“As advances are made in racial justice, there is a great push back by those who don’t want change,” she said. “Just as we make gains, there’s a push-back. As we look at where we are now in the 21st century, we’re seeing similar forces that were apparent after Reconstruction in the United States, as well as the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s.”

Beckerink said the goal of the film screening on Martin Luther King Jr. Day is to raise awareness in the community regarding issues of racial justice.

Following the presentation of “Who We Are,” Beckerink said there will be a “brief discussion” to help address any questions or concerns expressed by members of the community. Beckerink hopes the event will be able to spark additional community conversations regarding the work of racial justice and reconciliation.

“It’s our hope that our community will come together to examine personal and collective strategies to advance racial reconciliation,” she said. “Jamestown is the perfect community for this kind of film. People tend to step up to the plate whenever there’s a need, and I think that Jamestown is the perfect community to move this conversation forward.”

The event will be held Monday, Jan. 16, at 7 p.m. at the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts. Tickets are currently available online through the Reg Lenna’s website. Beckerink said there are also posters throughout Jamestown with a QR code for more information about the film and tickets to the event.

Tickets for the event are $3.90, which Beckerink said commemorates the fact that Martin Luther King Jr. died at the age of 39. Beckerink added that part of the goal for the event is to “pick up” whether King “left off.”

In honor of King’s legacy, part of the ticket sales for the event will go to support the New Neighbors Coalition, which Beckerink said is committed to helping refugee families settle in the Jamestown region. Beckerink explained that the New Neighbors Coalition identifies with King’s commitment to help other people no matter who they are.

“It honors his legacy because so much of what his life involved was the understanding that this country was founded on the idea that all men are created equal and that we pledge our allegiance to this country not just to the flag but to a United States with liberty and justice for all,” she said. “It was his life’s work, to serve that ideal, and I think that we owe it to ourselves and to Martin Luther King’s legacy to carry on that service.”

The event will also provide individuals with information on the work of the event’s sponsors. Information regarding the Jamestown YWCA, St. Luke’s and the Chautauqua County I.D.E.A. Coalition will be available at the event for those interested in being involved in local outreach groups.

The Rev. Luke Fodor, from St. Luke’s, described the event as a “unique” kind of partnership between St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, the Jamestown YWCA and the Chautauqua County I.D.E.A. Coalition.

“The coalition is trying to really extend the King legacy because King wasn’t just about one cause, he was about justice and love, and he was a minister who was trying to really help us understand what beloved community looks like,” he said. “I think in a way, that’s kind of the work we’re trying to do as well.”

Fodor explained that while most people view Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a day off from work and school, the day is meant to be a “service holiday.” He is encouraging the community to use the day as a way to honor King’s legacy by engaging in the community event.

“For me, honoring someone’s legacy is important,” he said. “Honoring the King legacy by engaging in learning, I think, is always an important thing.”