| MANCHESTER — A Franciscan priest who opens his Manchester
parish to immigrants and refugees, and Albertson’s Inc., the
corporation that promotes diversity in its Shaw’s Supermarkets,
were honored yesterday by two starkly different events held
in Manchester to commemorate the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr.
The Martin Luther King Coalition awarded the Rev. John Gallagher,
a Capuchin Franciscan who is pastor of St. Anne-St. Augustin
Church, the 19th Martin Luther King award. The event, which
took place at St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral, also honored
the late Rep. Lionel W. Johnson, a long-time promoter of a
Martin Luther King holiday in New Hampshire.
 Later in the day, the New Hampshire Cultural Diversity Awareness
Council gave the Keeping the Dream Alive Award to Albertson’s
for its work to promote diversity in the workplace. The organization
presented the award at a dinner at the Radisson Hotel, Center
of New Hampshire , where a rendition of the 1994 Buffalo Soldiers
postage stamp was given to reenactors of the 54th Massachusetts
Volunteer Infantry, Company A — the African-American unit made
famous in the movie “Glory.”
Across the state, events were held in commemoration of the
civil-rights leader King, who was assassinated in 1968. In
Portsmouth , 225 people tolerated freezing temperatures to
participate in the fourth annual march to honor King.
Both Manchester events drew about 200 guests. Both booked
speakers who mentioned and quoted King. Both featured musicians
from area schools. And newly elected Gov. John Lynch attended
both.
Larry Johnston, president and chief executive officer of Albertson’s,
gave taped remarks played for the Diversity Awareness Council
dinner. Its corporate board is half female, one of the highest
percentages in corporate America .
“We are attempting to unleash the global power of diversity
to our competitive advantage,” Johnston said. |
