Hanover Park celebrates King, diversity

Hanover Park celebrated not only the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. but also its own diversity Sunday.

The first ever Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration was held Sunday afternoon, Feb. 22, at the Evangel Assembly of God Church, sponsored by the village and its Cultural Inclusion and Diversity Committee.

Pastor Ron Heitman said the church was a fitting venue, noting flags from several countries hanging from the roof of the auditorium.

"You see the flags above our auditorium. That represents people from different nations in our congregation," Heitman. "I believe that our church is a reflection of this inclusion and diverse culture that we live in."

Hanover Park Trustee Toni Carter, a member of the diversity committee, said Sunday was the first time in the village's 50-year history that it has honored Dr. King.

The program included music from the choir of Chicago's Temple of Life Church and a panel discussion that included Heitman, the Rev. Clyde H. Brooks, president and CEO of the Illinois Commission on Diversity and Human Relations, Pastor Jenny Swanson of Hanover Park's Living Christ Lutheran Church and Jeannette Kilo-Smith, vice president of Global Inclusion and Diversity for Motorola.

"Diversity and inclusion is extremely important in the workplace," Smith said.

But she said the commitment to diversity and inclusion must emanate from the very top of the organization and spread through middle management on down. She said Motorola has more than 60,000 employees in about 48 countries.

Referencing Dr. King's comment about judging on the content of one's character, the Rev. Brooks said that in President Barack Obama's election, "We have just witnessed the greatest example of the power of change. I did not say racism was over. I said there has been a tremendous attitudinal change that has allowed, in this example, (people) to look beyond, skin color."

Hanover Park Police Chief Ron Moser said he shares Dr. King's belief that, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

Moser said the police department is nationally accredited and is examined for compliance with police standards for use of force and hiring practices. In 2008 Hanover Park handled more than 43,000 calls for service and only used force in more than 60 instances, he said. He also added that his agency so closely mirrored its community, it didn't need to formulate a hiring plan for minorities.

Another speaker, Cultural Inclusion and Diversity Committee Member Phil Anderson, discussed Hanover Park's diversity, saying that of the 13 houses on his block, there are at least six different ethnic backgrounds represented. In addition, the families attending his children's school speak at least 40 different languages, Anderson said.