Four Community Leaders Inducted Into Providence’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Hall of Fame
Friday, February 24, 2023
Community members Carina Monge, Sharon Conard-Wells, Travis Wiggins, and Deborah Wray were inducted on Thursday into the City's Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Hall of Fame.
Inductees were nominated by members of the public and chosen by Mayor Brett Smiley for their contributions to social justice, civil rights, and equality.
Carina Monge has spent 17 years in Providence Public Schools, beginning as a Career and Technical Coordinator at the high school level, where she worked to provide students hands-on learning experiences and college readiness programs in C.T.E. schools. Monge’s passion is to support underserved families and advocate for better health, social, and educational resources for all families in Providence. Born and raised in the Dominican Republic to parents of Lebanese descent, Monge is very active in the local Latino community, married, and has three children ages 22, 24, and 27.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTSharon Conard Wells worked as a computer systems analyst and served as Clerk to the R.I. Senate Corporations Committee before returning to her community organizing roots by becoming the Executive Director of the West Elmwood Housing Development Corporation (W.E.D.H.C.). She served in this position for twenty-nine years and became a known consensus builder and community resource. She is married to Roy Wells, mother to three, and grandmother to four.
Travis Wiggins was born and raised in Providence and currently lives in the city's South Providence neighborhood. For the past 14 years, Wiggins has worked for Tides Family Services, an organization dedicated to preventing children from being placed in residential facilities or incarceration, and worked to reunify children with their parents. Wiggins visits the homes of families he is working with to follow up on the day's events and help them meet their goals.
Deborah Wray has been an active member of the Providence community for over three decades as a respected advocate for fair and affordable housing, accessible public transportation, and safe neighborhoods. Wray served in different capacities for over 30 years for Direct Action for Rights and Equality (D.A.R.E.) and is a Hartford Park Tenant Association member. Currently, she serves as the Chairwoman of the Providence External Review (P.E.R.A. Board). Wray has an undeniable passion for social justice issues.
"I am excited to celebrate the incredible work of these four community leaders who showcase day after day their commitment to the values of justice, equality, and service of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.," said Smiley.
Related Articles
- Blackstone Valley Prep’s First Martin Luther King Jr. Essay Contest Winner
- Horowitz: Martin Luther King Challenged America to Live Up to its Ideals
- Martin Luther King Day: ‘Not a Day Off’ for Volunteers
- Three New Members to be Inducted Into MLK Hall of Fame
- Elorza Inducts Three Community Leaders Into MLK Hall of Fame
- Vincent, Akinfalorin, DeBlois to be Inducted into Providence MLK Hall of Fame
- Three Inducted Into MLK Hall of Fame
- The Most Expensive Home for Sale in RI Has Ties to an Infamous Singer, MLK and Gandhi and Diocese
