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Pastor: Dr. King would be proud but disillusioned
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Earl McAlway, left, chaplain of VFW Post 6488, presented the post’s Trailblazer Award to retired Detective Sgt. Delphine Baldwin-Casey, formerly of the Youngstown Police Department. The award was presented Monday in recognition of Baldwin-Casey’s 31 years of service to the Valley at the post in Youngstown.
By Sean Barron
COITSVILLE
If he were alive today, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. likely would be proud of the progress many blacks have made, but disillusioned with certain values many young people hold, a local minister and speaker contends.
“Television is stealing the heritage of our children,” the Rev. David Moncrief told a standing-room-only crowd at Monday’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day luncheon at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6488, 2065 Coitsville-Hubbard Road. “They wear their ignorance like a badge of honor.”
Also hosting the one-hour event, themed “The Dream is Alive,” was the post’s Ladies Auxiliary 6488.
The Rev. Mr. Moncrief, a 1968 North High School graduate and pastor of Triedstone Baptist Church in Youngstown, was the main speaker during the gathering to celebrate King’s life, legacy and vision.
The pastor blasted many popular talk shows he said promote and glorify negative stereotypes while making young people’s poor choices and struggles fodder for entertainment.
King’s deep faith in God didn’t make him immune to the pain of segregation, Jim Crow laws and racism, but gave him tools to rise above and fight against all three, Mr. Moncrief explained.
“King knew if he stayed on the battlefield, one day we’d be free from racism,” he added.
Many black people enjoy more freedoms today, but “we’ve moved back in the prison of ignorance,” in part by moving from God’s teachings, Mr. Moncrief continued.
In addition, crime and drugs remain scourges in many black neighborhoods, he said, adding that part of keeping King’s dream alive is recognizing that freedom entails personal responsibility.
Also at the luncheon, retired Detective Sgt. Delphine Baldwin-Casey was the recipient of a Trailblazer Award for her work with the Youngstown Police Department.
Casey, who began her law-enforcement career in December 1978, created the department’s crisis-intervention unit, strongly advocated for domestic-violence victims and provided sexual-assault training for the YPD. Early in her career, she had to deal with many male officers who were reluctant to work with a woman.
Other remarks were made by Sandra Smith-Graves, president of Ladies Auxiliary 6488; and Ronell Carter, Post 6488’s commander.
Also Monday, First Presbyterian Church of Youngstown on Wick Avenue hosted the 29th annual Martin Luther King community workshop, titled “Responding with King’s Passion in the Fight Against Poverty.”
An estimated 250 people heard several speakers and participated in discussion groups on ways to tackle poverty, including holding institutions and elected officials accountable for their decisions; shifting the focus of many community centers to better reflect today’s needs; and challenging negative stereotypes regarding poor people.
Sponsoring the three-hour gathering was the Martin Luther King Planning Committee of the Mahoning Valley.