News  The Massachusetts Trial Court’s 7th Annual Cultural Appreciation Week will feature a variety of public events that celebrate diversity and community

The Massachusetts Trial Court’s 7th Annual Cultural Appreciation Week events—free and open to the public—has something for everyone interested in celebrating culture and diversity—from a live Latin Rock band performance, Naturalization ceremonies to an author talk and speech by a Civil Rights icon, to art exhibits, dance, cooking demonstrations, food tastings and more.

Cultural Appreciation Week will take place October 16-20 in courthouses and offices across the Commonwealth. The Trial Court is believed to have the biggest celebration of culture and diversity by any court system in the country. This year, there are over 100 events scheduled.

Here are some highlights of next week’s public events:

Monday, October 16th

Essex County
Author Talk
Lawrence Community Justice Support Center, 280 Merrimack Street, 11 a.m.

Jennifer DeLeon, a Today Show featured-author, will speak at the Lawrence Community Justice Support Center, 280 Merrimack Street, Lawrence. Ms. DeLeon is an award-winning author of two young adult novels, “Borderless,” featured on the Today Show, and “Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From,” which tells the story of a 15-year-old girl who struggles to fit into her high school as a student  in the METCO (Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity) program. The Lawrence CJSC celebration is a Signature Court celebration, an event visited by court and local dignitaries.

Cape and the Islands
Breakfast with a Vet
Orleans District Court, 37 Rock Harbor Road, 10 a.m.

Breakfast with a Vet, a Belgium waffle breakfast for employees and local veterans. Veterans Justice Outreach Specialist Whitney Conrad, LCSW, of the Providence Veterans Medical Center, and Adam Doerfler, Outreach Specialist at Cape Cod Veterans Center.

Tuesday, October 17th

Worcester County
Presentation of Margaret E. Oglesby Award at MTOC (Massachusetts Training and Operations Center), 10 a.m.

The Margaret E. Oglesby Award will be presented to a deserving veteran during a special ceremony at the Massachusetts Probation Service Training and Operations Center (MTOC). The award is named in honor of Ms. Oglesby, a former Chief Probation Officer and war hero, who passed away in 2020. In addition to the ceremony, the event will feature performances by the Clinton High School band, trivia, lunch, and games.

Wednesday, October 18th

Norfolk County
Webinar featuring CNN Hero Award recipient, 1 p.m.

Tyrique Glasgow, CNN Hero Award recipient and CEO of the Young Chances Foundation in Philadelphia, will share his story during a one-hour webinar hosted by Hingham District Chief Probation Officer Jennifer Brady. Mr. Glasgow, a keynote speaker at the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) convention this summer. Click here for the direct link to the webinar, webinar ID: 161 936 3544 (no registration required).

Thursday, October 19th

Cape and the Islands
Community language lessons
Barnstable Probate & Family, 3195 Main Street, 10 a.m.

Barnstable Probate & Family will host a day-long event, including language lessons for the public featuring the languages spoken by court staff and members of the community. Employees and the public will be taught how to say hello, good bye, and thank you.

Friday, October 20th

Plymouth County
Court-wide potluck lunch, music, and art
Brockton District Court, 215 Main Street, Brockton, 11 a.m.

Court-wide potluck lunch, music performance, art exhibit by local students, and a museum display, featuring the cultural artifacts of court employees and the community.

Hampden County
Posthumous Tribute to Community Heroes
Roderick L. Ireland Courthouse, 50 State Street, Springfield, 11 a.m.

Posthumous Tribute to US Marshal John Gibbons, Hampden County’s first CAW keynote speaker, and Springfield Juvenile Assistant Clerk Magistrate Abbie Davies who is believed to be the first African-American woman to hold her position. Springfield Mayor Dominic Sarno will present a proclamation for a street naming in honor of Ms. Davies and her legacy. The street naming will take place on another date and time. In addition to Mayor Sarno, Holyoke Mayor Joshua A. Garcia and Westfield Mayor Michael A. McCabe will also attend the event.

Bristol County
Bristol Superior Court's Seventh Annual Naturalization Oath Ceremony
Fall River Justice Center, 186 South Main Street, Fall River, 12 p.m.

Bristol Superior Court will host its Seventh Annual Naturalization Ceremony at the Fall River Justice Center on Friday, October 20, at 12 pm., where 20 men and women are scheduled to take an Oath of Allegiance to become American Citizens. Students, enrolled in the Multilingual Learners Program at the Fall River Public Schools, will attend the ceremony.

Suffolk County
Living History:  A Civil Rights icon reflects on 1960’s Greensboro lunch counter sit-ins
Suffolk Superior Court, 3 Pemberton Square, Boston, 1 p.m.

Jibreel Khazan, a member of the Greensboro 4, will speak at a CAW event at Suffolk Superior Court. Mr. Khazan was one of four college students, who led student sit-ins at segregated lunch counters in Greensboro, NC during the 1960’s Civil Rights movement. Mr. Khazan, whose name was Ezell Blair Jr. before he converted to Islam, will talk about his experience during the movement and his meetings with Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy.

De-Zero, Latin Rock Band, to perform
Edward Brooke Courthouse, 24 New Chardon Street, Boston, 1 p.m.

Performance by Latin Rock Band De-Zero at the Edward Brooke Courthouse. De-Zero performs a mix of Latin Rock music covers and features bass player Richard Lazcano who is a Suffolk Probate & Family Court Case Specialist and Jason Barsotti, a Suffolk Probate & Family Case Specialist. Mr. Lazcano and Mr. Barsotti are two of seven band members who perform music from Chile, Uruguay, and the Dominican Republic. This will take place in the second floor rotunda.