Micah Center for Social Justice Seeks a ‘More Just’ Community

Melanie Whapham and Pam Narahara, members of the committee for the new Micah Center for Social Justice Learning and Practice, review notes at a planning session.

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There is a new organization in town, and you can be part of it. The Micah Center for Social Justice Learning and Practice is a new initiative to connect people interested in making the Marlborough-Hudson community more just and equitable. The goal is to lift up the good work being done in the area and examine the ideas that drive that good work. 
    The Micah Center was begun as an initiative of St. Stephen Lutheran Church, but has attracted community members as individuals and from other organizations, including the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metrowest, and the Marlborough Public Library.
    It was clear through a church survey as well as the activity of St. Stephen Lutheran Church’s Forward Leadership team that “that our church was in a position to launch a new project that would help communicate our values to the community,” said St. Stephen Pastor Joseph Graumann “In a brainstorming session, we settled on the ‘Micah Center,’ named after the prophet who wrote, ‘and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?’ This was our previous church mission statement, and we felt it would live on specifically in a focused Center for Social Justice Learning and Practice.”
First Event January 15
    At the heart of the Micah Center’s work will be a quarterly forum that features a speaker, a Q&A, and time for conversation. In 2020, the center plans to focus on four issues: voting and access to the ballot, immigration, human trafficking and housing insecurity. The first event, Voting 101, will take place on Wednesday, January 15 at 7 pm at the church at 537 Bolton St, Marlborough. Guest speaker will be Marlborough City Clerk Steven W. Kerrigan, who will talk about the registration process, voting procedures, and answer questions.
     Deb Roberts of Marlborough chairs the committee, which includes Sandra Austin, Mary Patricia Bailey, Margaret Cardello, Chris Duane, Samantha Gogan, Peg Harbert, Pam Narahara, Marilyn Perry, Melanie Whapham, and Pastor Graumann. Additional members are very welcome. If you would like to become involved, send an email to micahcenter@saintstephenlutheran.com