Del. Lisanti: “A Time to Remember the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King and Focus on the Work Ahead”

From Del. Mary Ann Lisanti:

Dear Friends,

Monday began with a moving tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the House Floor by Delegate Sheree Sample-Hughes of the Lower Eastern Shore. She spoke on many of the themes that Dr. King shared in his speeches about fighting injustice, and highlighting the many things that unite, rather than divide us. At this critical time in our history, I believe we should all do our best to remember the teachings of Dr. King that “we all share that common thread of wanting more for ourselves, our families, and our communities” not only here in Annapolis but across our country.

In addition to the tribute on the 21st of January, I had the privilege to attend the 31st Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Awards Dinner in Glen Burnie. This event recognizes community leaders, and public officials across the State of Maryland who embody the spirit of Dr. King’s work. This year, Harford County’s own Patrica Cole was one of 10 recipients statewide for her work as Chair of the Havre de Grace Colored School Foundation. Her work included acquiring the retired school, collecting artifacts, and raising funds to convert the structure to a museum for learning and cultural understanding. I was proud to work with Ms. Cole and sponsor bond legislation to award $96,000 to this important project. I would also like to thank Lawrence Diggs, Turshandra Cole, Jim Thornton, Cassandra Beverley, and Phillip Hunter for their work in coordinating a great attendance to the awards dinner from Harford County.

In addition to these wonderful events, I wanted to highlight some of the many visitors to Annapolis this week. I had the opportunity to meet with Harford County Teacher of the Year, Dr. Paula Stanton and members from the Maryland Federation for the Blind. I always appreciate and look forward to both of these visits each year.

Lastly, this past week was the deadline to request legislation for this session. This is always a busy week working with advocates, constituents, and my staff to get these requests in on time. I’m pleased to be working on a diverse range of issues again this session, and look forward to highlighting many of them to you in the coming weeks. As we now enter the forth week of session, and the pace continues to pick up, I will remember the words of Dr. King that “the time is always right to do what is right” while serving you in the prestigious body.

Please don’t hesitate to contact my office if you have any questions or concerns regarding legislation or how I can assist you. It’s a great privilege to serve the people of Harford County and I always appreciate hearing from you while serving in Annapolis.
Sincerely,

Mary Ann Lisanti
Delegate, District 34A