One of the most popular, indelible and soaring oratories in American history will be revived for the 23rd Annual Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Breakfast at 7:15 a.m. Monday at The Commons in downtown Columbus.
Charles Edwards, assistant principal of Columbus East High School, will use the classic 1963 speech from the late King during the historic March on Washington as the focus of his remarks near the close of the gathering that regularly has attracted some 300 people. The crowd normally includes city and county government leaders, heads of law enforcement and education, plus leaders in business, nonprofits, faith, and more.
“I’ll look mostly at what it means in the context of every day life today,” Edwards said. “And it will look at what our responsibility is toward fulfilling that dream.”
King’s message of hoped-for unity talked of people of various races and groups learning to live in harmony.
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The local African American Pastors Alliance organizes the free, non-ticketed gathering open to all. It includes a complete breakfast. The theme for the gathering is “2020 Foresight: Education is the Key.”
Toward that end, the pastors’ group awards college scholarships to local high school seniors. The event also will include a community choir representing singers from various churches under the direction of local singer Abigail Jackson.
Fred King of the pastors alliance is chairman of the event that he sees as increasingly relevant for area race relations.
“We think we’ve made some progress,” King said. “But we still believe we have a long way to go.”
The event also will include remarks from people including Mayor Jim Lienhoop, Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. Superintendent Jim Roberts and Columbus/Bartholomew County Area NAACP Branch President Olisa Humes. Humes, similar to other local NAACP leaders through the years, has used such forums to remind people that the organization stands for the rights of all — not just African Americans.
Humes also is expected to speak at a 90-minute town hall-style meeting — once organized by the NAACP and the pastors alliance — at 6 p.m. Monday at Calvary Community Church in downtown Columbus. That open-to-all event is designed to get community feedback on race and minority issues county-wide and especially in such areas as law enforcement and the schools.
“We want to get a sense of what the community wants to see in those areas,” Humes said.
She added that the meeting also is meant to encourage different groups such as African Americans and millennials to be more engaged in the community — an issue she initially raised when she became the NAACP leader a year ago.
The King day events on Monday also will include a mix of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math activities after the breakfast at about 9 a.m. in the Xenia Miller Room on The Commons second level. Health & Science Innovations, a nonprofit agency in Indianapolis, is bringing bots and other materials sufficient for a group of about 30 students in grades four through 12, according to organizer Lori Thompson. She said the local African American Fund is covering the group’s expenses for the activities, which will include local Cummins Inc. engineers working alongside students.
“I think everyone will have a blast,” Thompson said. “We’re trying to students moving into these kinds of activities to make them aware of exciting and fully-needed career options.”
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Community breakfast
- 7:15 to 9 a.m. Monday at The Commons, 300 Washington St. in downtown Columbus. Free and open to all. Speakers, music and more reflecting on the impact of The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Full buffet breakfast served.
STEM Activities
- About 9 a.m. Monday (following the breakfast) in the Xenia Miller Room at The Commons second floor, 300 Washington St. in downtown Columbus. For students in grades four through 12, fun with bots and more with the guidance of Health and Science Innovations in Indianapolis.
Community town hall on race and more
- 6 p.m. Monday at Calvary Community Church, 1031 Chestnut St. in downtown Columbus. A gathering open to all to discuss minority and race relations and especially their state in areas such as education and law enforcement.
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