Mike Wolanin | The Republic Kendall Wright gives the keynote speech during the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day breakfast at The Commons in downtown Columbus, Ind., Monday, Jan. 16, 2023.
COLUMBUS, Ind. — In a gathering that once again unfolded as part spirited call to action, part revival-style church service, the keynote speaker at the 26th Annual Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. breakfast urged an estimated 350 attendees at The Commons Monday to reach beyond their normal circle to gain new understanding, especially from those who could be battling injustice or oppression.
“How can we become a beloved community,” asked global business consultant and clergyman Kendall C. Wright, “if we remain clustered in these pockets of sameness? Tell me how you’re going to address the concerns of the community when you don’t even truly know what my concerns are.”
The Ohio-based Wright, familiar to some locals because of his past conference work here on race relations, with Cummins Inc., and preaching some of the local churches, lightly scolded those in the crowds who sat at tables with people they already knew (though that was partly because of corporate table designations) rather than seeking out those unfamiliar to them.
“As long as we hide behind hedges of homogeneity … it’s going to be impossible to serve the needs of a multi-cultural community,” he said.
As Wright spoke some in the crowd popped up from their seat and called out encouragement, ranging from “amen” to “you’d better preach.” One of those attendees, Toni Glover, visiting from Louisville, Kentucky, afterward explained such enthusiasm.
“When the truth is the truth,” Glover said, “then you stand on it.”
Mike Wolanin | The Republic Rosslyn King directs the African American Community Choir during the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day breakfast at The Commons in downtown Columbus, Ind., Monday, Jan. 16, 2023.
For the complete story and more photos, see Tuesday’s Republic.
