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The dream survives
Valley pastors honor legacy of civil rights leader killed in 1968
YOUNGSTOWN — Their voices resounded in the rotunda of Mahoning County Courthouse as they recalled the dream of civil rights leader, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Friday was the 40th anniversary of King’s assassination in 1968 in Memphis.
The Baptist Pastors’ Council of Youngstown and Vicinity sponsored the event, which drew about 50 in a special seating area and another 20 or so on the steps within the courthouse and those who watched from the floors above.
The speakers reinforced the idea that though the charismatic civil rights leader is gone, his dream is alive, and it’s up to pastors and lay people to keep it so.
“As time continues to move forward, we run the risk that succeeding generations will lose the appreciation of a social justice movement that engaged people of all ages, races and faiths,” said The Rev. J. Dwayne Heard, council president. “It is important to note that the ideals of the cause did not die. Yet, it remains vital and relevant for us to recall the personal sacrifice of icons, such as Dr. King, who enhanced the quality of life for all Americans.”
The Rev. Lewis Macklin, pastor of Holy Trinity Missionary Baptist Church, co-chaired the event with Mr. Heard as chairman. “We have an event but usually in a church setting,” the Rev. Mr. Macklin said. “With this being the 40th anniversary, we took it to a public setting.”
Mr. Macklin said the courthouse was a good choice because “it’s a place where people, of all faiths, converge to seek justice. Since Dr. King was a proponent of social justice, it was appropriate.”
“In these sacred halls of justice, we celebrate the full measure of a giant among men,” Mr. Macklin said. “His dream was greater than he was.”
The council, founded in 1927, has witnessed segregation and desegregation, and pastors have preached about both issues. And they did so again Friday.
The Rev. Kenneth L. Simon, pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church, remembered one of God’s “choice servants” in this way : “Thanks for memory of his life and legacy, his work and struggle, his love of God and for people of all races and cultures.”
“We want to embrace his dream and embody his spirit," the Rev. Mr. Simon said.
Mr. Simon asked those in attendance to continue the struggle toward “one nation under God” ... no matter what race, ethnicity or religious belief.
Pastor Michael Harrison, president of Ohio State Baptist Convention and pastor of Union Baptist Church, pointed out other civil rights activists all “stand in the shadow of the greatest sacrifice.
“Though his death is etched in the conscience of mankind,” Pastor Harrison said, “we can never let the dream die.”
Pastor Ernest Ellis, moderator of Eastern Ohio Baptist Association and pastor of Antioch Baptist Church, focused on King’s message to churches. “The church is not the master or servant of the state but its conscience,” he said. The church should be the prophetic voice in the community ... the dream is not dead.”
The Rev. Lonnie K.A. Simon, pastor emeritus of New Bethel, offered a brief reflection on the “faith of the past.” He was one of four local pastors who participated in the 1965 voting rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala. The Rev. Mr. Simon contrasted that event with the historic campaign of Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination for president. “The dream is about to come to pass,” Mr. Simon said, noting that people are looking at Obama’s qualities and not his color. Pastor Henry L. McNeil of Alpha and Omega First Baptist Church shared with the gathering that while a student at Alabama State University, he chose participation in marches over his studies. “And I have the transcript to prove it,” he said, prompting laughter when he cited his grade average.
“We all have choices,” he told the gathering. “We can choose the physical or spiritual ... but spiritual is forever and ensures the future.”
He said it was up to preachers to continue their quest to stop black-on-on violence, drugs in the community and lack of family structure. And by choosing the spiritual, people would eventually eliminate these problems.
Pastor Julius T. Davis Jr. of Friendship Baptist Church in Girard reminded the pastors in the audience to “rely on prayer” and “walk by faith” to keep on enduring.
Though he admitted the “race” for social and civil justice has been long and hard, it’s up to believers to continue.
At the conclusion, Mr. Heard said said there would be no benediction. “We won’t close out the dream,” he said. He thanked representatives of the religious community who attended, noting their diversity. “That was what Dr. King was all about,” he said.