Senator Coons recognized Martin Luther King Jr. by traveling throughout Delaware- making several stopsto celebrate the life, legacy and sacrifice Dr. King made while ensuring the country embodied the creed of “all men are created equal”. Always a busy day for elected officials, Chris spoke about the fight for access to justice and education and how his work in Washington relates to Delawareans. Chris had the opportunity to share sentiments at three breakfast gatherings, a lunch, and concluded at Penn Cinema in Wilmington, where he helped out the concession employees behind the counter serving up popcorn prior to a screening of the film “Selma”.
Chris kicked off the day at the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington by speaking to a group of over 200 members of the Delaware State Bar Association at their second annual DSBA Breakfast and Day of Statewide Service. Sen. Coons, a member of the DSBA, welcomed keynote speaker and Harvard University Jesse Climenko Professor of Law Charles J. Ogletree to Delaware.
Chris made a point to speak about access to justice for all. “All of us know, practitioners and observers alike, understand the powerful tidal pull of prejudice continues to exert its will on jury selection, on the outcomes of trials, on access to education, on access to justice and on access to opportunity in this which we claim to be the greatest nation in the world,” said Sen. Coons.
“I look forward to working across the aisle to find real, positive and concrete ways that we can legislate criminal justice reform federally.”
Across the hallway, Chris also joined hundreds more at the 31st Annual Organization of Minority Women annual breakfast where Vice President Joe Biden gave remarks on repairing the rift between police and community.
Shortly thereafter, Chris headed south, where he spoke at the 32nd Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Prayer Breakfast: Remember, Celebrate, Act!, hosted by the Zeta Rho Lambda Chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity in Dover. The annual breakfast featured vocal selections by the Delaware State University Choir. While in the state capitol, Chris stopped by the John Pitts Center to make a donation to the annual AKA Sorority Annual Winter Clothing Drive, and joined the Delaware State University family at their annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration, hosted by Reuben Salters, President of Dover’s Inner City Cultural League. Guests were treated to performances by Sankofa African Dance Company and Sankofa String Orchestra.
That evening, Chris joined his friends from Canaan Baptist Church for a community screening of “Selma” and post-movie roundtable discussion hosted by Pastor Chris Bullock and New Castle County Council member Penrose Hollins. The real action came early in the evening, as the more than 300 guests arrived for the film, the concession stand lines started to grow. That’s when Chris, never one to be found on the sidelines, hopped behind the counter and helped serve the guests their movie treats.