Terry Cowgill | The Berkshire Edge

Great Barrington — About 75 people filled the pews at the First Congregational Church on Monday afternoon to celebrate the life of America’s foremost civil rights leader.

This year the 21st annual interfaith service honoring the life of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, sponsored by Multicultural BRIDGE, featured the theme of “Renew, Rebuild and Restore.”

There were hymns, prayers and sermons. There was a briefing on an innovative BRIDGE summer program, the Happiness Toolbox.

Hannah Van Sickle | Berkshire Edge

Lee — After more than a decade engaging in essential work across Berkshire County, Multicultural BRIDGE has been recognized as one of four finalists for the 2019 Paul and Joyce Aicher Leadership in Democracy Award. The annual award, given by Everyday Democracy, recognizes individuals and organizations that work toward creating spaces for people of all backgrounds to talk and work together for strong, equitable communities. This year there were 64 total nominations nationwide.

“It is an honor to be recognized by Everyday Democracy and the Paul J. Aicher Foundation for our work,” said Gwendolyn VanSant, co-founding director and CEO of the Berkshire-based nonprofit. “At BRIDGE, we are committed to embodying new practices of recognizing, disrupting, and undoing oppression through education, advocacy, and leveraging our many resources for positive social change. We work alongside others and work across differences in identity, perspective, and politics to prioritize safety and belonging. These are things we can all practice doing in our neighborhoods, workplace communities, and across sectors. In the time that we are living in now, we must strive towards equity and justice however we can. We are stronger together.”