We have a dream that is still hoping to be realized after 6 decades and as we continue to create a more equitable world.

It's one that you can help celebrate on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services is once again helming a grand celebration, “Pursue Justice: Persist in Peace,” in Springfield, and we speak with organizers Shannon Rudder and Rania Kfuri about the many arms of the organization and preparations for Monday’s event.

One of the event’s featured artists, Vanessa Ford, is on a mission to uplift other artists in the community to pursue their passions. She stops by the studios to tell us more about the Trust Transfer Project Artist Development Fellowship, a cohort of 80 local artists to engage their crafts to build community and a resilient career in the arts. We even find out how you can get involved! 

Plus, Word Nerd Emily Brewster, senior editor at Merriam-Webster, is back from living our linguistic dreams in Philadelphia at the American Dialect Society’s vote for word of the year. We hear all of her highlights from the affair.