This week in HVNY history (January 15-21, 2024)
January 15: On January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 struck a flock of birds shortly after take-off from LaGuardia Airport in New York City. The impact caused a loss of all engine power. Due to their position and low altitude, Chelsey “Sully” Sullenberger and Jeffrey Skiles made the decision to glide the plane to land in the Hudson River. All 155 people on board were rescued by nearby boats, only a few with minor injuries. The incident was referred to as the “Miracle on the Hudson.”
January 20: Pete Seeger first performed his version of “We Shall Overcome” for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on September 2, 1957 during a meeting between civil rights activists in Tennessee (pictured above, along with Rosa Parks). After Dr. King found himself humming the tune in his car later that day, the song became the anthem for the Civil Rights movement. Seeger recalled Dr. King saying at the time: "'We Shall Overcome,' that song really sticks with you, doesn’t it?"
Seeger, a longtime Beacon resident and lifelong activist, shared his dream of organizing a singing parade in MLK’s honor, and planned the first annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade on January 20, 2014 with the theme: “What Would Martin Do?”
Unfortunately due to illness, Seeger couldn’t attend that first annual MLK parade in Beacon, but organizers relayed the success of the event to Seeger. “He didn’t think many people would show up because it was cold, “ RJ Storm said at the time. “‘Did anybody show up besides you and Dan?’ Oh, just a couple thousand people!” Seeger would unfortunately pass away later that month, on January 27, 2014.
The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration and Parade in Beacon continues annually, this year on Monday, January 15, 2024. More info: http://www.beaconsloop.org
