Who we are
Our story began 40 years ago, when members of St. Stephens AME Zion Church organized the first MLK Day Breakfast in Branford. From its humble beginnings in a small church, the MLK Day Breakfast has blossomed into a hugely popular annual event, with a roster of renowned speakers, held at Branford High School. It also led to the formation of the nonprofit MLK Heritage Foundation, whose mission is to honor the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by enlightening and uplifting our community.
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Today, the MLK Heritage Foundation continues to expand our reach, inspired by the legacy of Dr. King. Among our projects is 'Meals for the Mind,' a groundbreaking series of bi-monthly evenings where 10 people from different backgrounds - whether cultural, racial, ideological, or generational – share a meal, talk, and simply get to know each other. We also hold annual Black History Month events at the Blackstone Library and Branford High School, and we annually award scholarships to high school seniors whose works in the community embody the spirit of Dr. King.
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At the MLK Heritage Foundation, our mission is a testament to our commitment to a more equitable and unified society. If you’d like to join us on our journey, we urge you to contact us and learn what we’ve been up to. Together, we can create a better future.
Foundation Board
Ray Anderson
Vice President
Born into a family dedicated to education and civil rights, Ray attended the “March On Washington” with his mother in 1963 and felt the unimaginable intensity of the legendary “I have a dream” speech.
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After earning a BA, MA, and MBA from Southern CT, Fairfield, and Sacred Heart universities, respectively, Ray's 40-year career spanned education, human services, computer programming, information technology, sales, and fortune 500 business technical and operations management. His travels to over 40 countries and 47 states have broadened his perspective and inspired his passion and advocacy for social justice.
Mary Fitz-Perry
President
A graduate of Fordham University, Mary worked in the beverage industry for 20 years, and has since gravitated toward involvement with numerous social welfare organizations dedicated to empowering those denied human and civil rights.
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Mary's goal in life is to help build a community open to understanding and respect. She believes strongly in Dr. King’s message that was born through his faith and love of country. The poem “Still I Rise,” by Maya Angelou, gives her strength and hope that we can make a difference in the world.
Marcelle Applewhaite
Treasurer
A nurse for more than 40 years with a specialty in children’s health, and as a child of immigrant parents from Georgetown Guyana, the call to assist others has been with Marcelle her entire life.
Marcelle graduated with a BSN from Georgetown University and an MSN from Sacred Heart University. She currently travels the country to assist hospitals with quality and safety. She has served on the board of the Ronald McDonald House, Southern Connecticut Black Nurses Association and Gaylord Rehabilitation Hospital.
Cinda Cash Walsh
Secretary
With a BA from Connecticut College and MA from Antioch University, Cinda worked as Executive Director in the addiction and mental health services in Connecticut for overs 30 years. In her leadership roles, she developed and managed millions of dollars in state, federal and private funding and engaged in policy and advocacy at the Connecticut legislature.
Cinda's parents instilled in her the importance of equality and justice, and she had the honor of attending a Martin Luther King, Jr. speech in 1967 in Wisconsin. It is her desire to live and carry on Dr. King's legacy for future generations.
Jacqui Torcellini
Board Member
Jacqui Torcellini joined the MLK Heritage Foundation board to help younger generations learn about the legacy of Dr. King. A graduate of Southern Connecticut State University, Jacqui has extensive experience in organizational planning, student engagement, and marketing, and has developed the knowledge and skills to support event planning and fundraising activities as well as manage organizational platforms.
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She has worked with Kingdom International Economic Development Corporation in New Haven, supporting food distribution and clothing drives throughout the city. She also traveled to Houston, TX, after Hurricane Harvey to support the local community by distributing clothes and food. She has a strong desire to lend a helping hand to those in need.
Rev. Alberta Woody
Board Chaplain
Born and raised in Mount Vernon, New York, Alberta enlisted in the U.S. Army, where she spent 4 years on active duty overseas. After returning home, she graduated from OIC Business School, and began working at New York Presbyterian Hospital in 1987, where she has been employed for the past 36 years.
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Rev. Woody attended the New York School of the Bible, then joined the St. Stephen’s AME Zion Church in Branford. Her favorite scripture is Romans 8:38-39, which can be summed up as: “Nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord!"
Margot Hardenbergh
Assistant Treasurer
After graduating from Connecticut College and getting MA at American University, Margot began working in public affairs and community public access television. She then earned a doctorate at New York University, and taught courses as varied as TV production, media ethics, history, the documentary, and telecommunications policy at the University of Bridgeport, Marist College and Fordham University.
Margot has long been an admirer of Dr. King, and enjoyed sharing his inspirational writings and speeches with her students. She has been involved in the annual MLK Breakfast for 24 years, and is excited to contribute her experience to the Foundation to carry on Dr. King’s message.
Rev. Olivia Robinson
Board Member
Olivia began her career as a nurse after attending Boston University School of Nursing. She worked as a nurse in Africa giving smallpox vaccinations, in a methadone clinic in New Haven, and for the Yale Psychiatric Institute. She then attended Yale Divinity School, was Chaplain at York Correctional Center in Hartford, and went on. to serve churches in Vermont and Connecticut for 46 years, and was integral in forming tier New Britain Interfaith council of churches.
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Olivia sings with the North Madison UCC Church choir, the Stony Creek Singers, and New Haven Chorale. She is also a docent at the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme, CT. Her experience in Hartford providing information on the life of Dr. King and studying his six principles of non-violence inspire her involvement on the board.
Abdullah Abdul Rahim
Board Member
Abdullah Abdul Rahim is an entrepreneur and an educator. He dedicated more than a quarter of his life to the rehabilitation of men incarcerated by the criminal justice system. As an Associate Chaplain, he worked for the Department of Corrections in Connecticut and New York, where his responsibilities included counseling and therapy, teaching life skills, programing, and religious instruction for hundreds of staff and officers in both Departments of Correction.
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An active member of the Connecticut and Massachusetts Muslim communities, Abdullah is an alumnus of University of Massachusetts Amherst and American International College.
Jane Beamon
Board Member
Jane Beamon pursued vocational training and dedicated nearly 40 years to a career providing administrative, financial, and management support to various small businesses. After several years in this field she transitioned into academia, working in the fundraising departments at several of Yale's schools before retiring as a stewardship coordinator at the Yale Law School.
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Her family has deep ties to the Branford Community with roots tracing back to the early 1900s. She has been a lifelong member of St. Stephen's A.M.E Zion Church in Branford where her family, along with a few others, played a pivotal role in establishing the congregation.
