Danvers Committee for Diversity to present Drum Major Justice Awards

By John Laidler, Globe Correspondent

The Danvers Committee for Diversity will present its Drum Major for Justice Award  to four individuals and four organizations at its annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Awards dinner on Jan. 16 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at the Danversport Yacht Club, 161 Elliott St. The committee presents the award at the dinner each year to people, businesses, and organizations who have shown a deep commitment to social justice, and leadership in advancing racial and religious tolerance.

The 2012 individual recipients will be Juliet Sithole-Berk, Emily Jones, Georgianna Melendez, and Paul and Donna Pepper. The four groups receiving the award are the Prep@Pingree Program and its founder, Malcolm Coates; Eastern Bank; North Shore Bank; and Students United for Acceptance. The event will also include a keynote speech by Melendez, a Peabody resident who is co-director of the Commonwealth Compact - a project that seeks to make Greater Boston a more welcoming place for people of diverse backgrounds - and executive director of two domestic violence agencies. The event will also include musical selections from two Danvers High School groups: the Chamber Singers, and the Women's Chorus; and the Follow Hymn Interfaith Choir. Proceeds will support the committee's scholarship fund and its other programs. The committee will be collecting non-perishable food donations for the Danvers Food Pantry.

Tickets are $30 and can be purchased by calling the Department of Planning and Human Services at 978-777-0001, ext. 3095.