PORTLAND — William S. Cohen, former U.S. Secretary of Defense, will be the keynote speaker at “A Call to Conscience: Civil Rights and the Quest for Peace and Justice,” the 33rd annual Martin Luther King Jr. breakfast on Jan. 20 in Portland, hosted by The NAACP Portland branch.
This holiday observance coincides with the 50th anniversaries of the NAACP Portland Branch and passage of the landmark desegregation and anti-discrimination bill, the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Secretary Cohen, who served in the Clinton administration, represented Maine in Congress for more than two decades. He will not only examine Dr. King’s unwavering commitment to nonviolence and the current quest for peace and justice, but confront the work still remaining to provide civil rights and economic equity to all.
“The NAACP Portland branch is honored to welcome Secretary Cohen, one of Maine’s most distinguished public servants, back home to participate in this historic celebration, particularly at a time when many of the gains in our civil and human rights are under attack at the local and national level. Secretary Cohen provides us with intelligent and experienced leadership based on civility and nonpartisanship,” NAACP officials said in a prepared statement. “With his expertise in foreign relations and intimate knowledge of Maine’s business and people, Secretary Cohen is able to draw the parallel between global and local issues and how the blurring lines of peace and justice impact all citizens.”
The event will run from 8-11 a.m. at the Holiday Inn By The Bay in Portland. Tickets are available at mlkbreakfast.brownpapertickets.com.
Information on other NAACP-sponsored King holiday events can be found at www.naacp.me.
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