The Catholic Diocese of Toledo is pleased to announce Sara Jobin and Joseph Tafelski as the recipients of its 2018 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drum Major Award.  Nominations were sought for individuals whose lives demonstrate support for Dr. King's call for service, peace, justice and racial equality.

Bishop Daniel E. Thomas said, "2018 awardees Sara Jobin, a multi-talented award winning musician, and Joseph Tafelski, a legal advocate, are outstanding examples of individuals who embody the values espoused by Dr. King."

Jobin, a resident of Toledo, Ohio was announced as the resident conductor of the Toledo Symphony Orchestra in July 2015 while continuing her duties as the associate conductor of the Toledo Opera.   She has used her considerable skills as a musician to promote social justice and racial harmony. In January 2017 she organized a group of musicians to play at the site of a local minority family's home that had been defaced with a hate symbol, raising awareness in the community. 

Her openness about her love for God and her commitment to peace made her an ideal candidate to give the keynote speech at the 16th annual Multi-Faith Banquet on April 23, 2017 at the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo. She inspires us all to use our God-given gifts to promote peace and justice. Her efforts in creating and staging "Never Again: Music Out of the Ashes", in November 2017, assures that the works composed by those in ghettos and concentration camps during the Holocaust will not be forgotten.  The Congregation B'nai Israel hosted this event.

Jobin truly shows the importance of one's family influence.  She recounts proudly how her father marched at Selma and relates his description of nonviolence training in the basement of a church in Selma, as one of the formative experiences of his life. Obviously his experiences formed her beliefs and commitment.
 
Tafelski is a graduate of Xavier University, Boston College Law School and the University of Missouri in Kansas City (LL.M).  He has devoted 43 years to serving low-income people in Western Ohio and migrant farmworkers statewide. In his 37-year tenure as the executive director of Advocates for Basic Legal Equality (ABLE), Tafelski assured a voice for those who would not otherwise be able to access legal services.  In light of his recent retirement it is only fitting to acknowledge his leadership and legacy in promoting justice for thousands of poor and underserved persons. His example and strong commitment to racial justice is engrained and made an indelible mark at ABLE, particularly his work with immigrants.  
 
Tafelski is a native of Toledo and a long-time resident of the Old West End.  He has served as a member of the Toledo Lucas County Homelessness Board and as a past president of the Rotary Club of Toledo.
 

The Diocese of Toledo, established April 15, 1910, encompasses 8,222 square miles in a mixture of urban and rural areas and spans 19 counties across Northwest Ohio, serving approximately 320,000 Catholics in 123 parishes. The Diocese includes Allen, Crawford, Defiance, Erie, Fulton, Hancock, Henry, Huron, Lucas, Ottawa, Paulding, Putnam, Richland, Sandusky, Seneca, Van Wert, Williams, Wood and Wyandot counties.