Inglewood celebrates the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Melissa Caskey | 1-20-2010 | Comments |
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Hundreds of participants from across the country and around the block united in Inglewood on January 16 for the city’s 27th annual celebration of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.This year’s event began with a service at The Tabernacle of Faithful Central Bible Church, where speakers and performers emphasized the celebration’s theme, the “Unfolding Dream.”
Speaking directly to the “young people” present at the ceremony, Inglewood Mayor Roosevelt Dorn emphasized the importance of motivation at an early age.
“It doesn’t matter where you start from,” he said. “What matters is how you start and where you end up.”
Four winners of a speech-writing contest for Inglewood elementary and high school students also spoke.
Heaven Lee Williams, a 7-year-old second-grader from Highland Elementary School, said King had inspired her to chase after her dreams. “What is my purpose in the ‘Unfolding Dream’?” Williams asked as she spread her arms above her head. “I may look ordinary to you but I can reach and achieve extraordinary things in this world.”
Eight-year-old Jezelle De Leon, a third-grader at Beulah Payne School, told the crowd that she knew firsthand, from being taunted by classmates for her Asian appearance, that discrimination is often based on ignorance. “They call me ‘chinky’, but I’m not even Chinese,” she declared. “I’m Filipino.”
High school senior Gerald Evans said he worked hard to emulate King, who “led a life that left a legacy of moral courage for us to follow.” Evans’s remarks so moved Wendy Raquel Robinson, the mistress of ceremony, that she pledged before the gathered crowd she would sponsor the 17-year-old once he enrolled in college.
The City of Refuge PSALMS Choir infused the program with a joyous tone as it performed a variety of gospel songs throughout the morning ceremony. Led by director Jason McGee, the award-winning group energized and inspired The Tabernacle’s audience. Audience members danced and clapped along.
“It’s just very powerful for us to be able to give something to them, and them to give something back [to us],” said April White, a PSALMS member since 2007. .
Keynote speaker Dr. Ralph C. Watkins, nicknamed the “Hip Hop Pastor,” emphasized the importance of following one’s dreams as a young person. In his address he drew unlikely parallels between the lives of King and rapper Lil’ Wayne, both of whom overcame great odds to achieve their goals.
“You must use your gift to help others,” Watkins told the crowd.
The event brought together groups from across the country, including members of the Tuskegee Airmen, the first African American aviators to fight in World War II, as well as the Montford Point Marine Association (MPMA), the first African Americans to enlist in the Marine Corps, between 1942 and 1947.
James Averhart, Jr., president of the MPMA, flew from Washington to attend Saturday’s celebration.“If I was going to take back one thing with me, I would take back the camaraderie,” said Averhart.
A parade and family festival followed the morning’s celebration, where school marching bands and performing arts students showcased their talents. The Inglewood High School Marching Band led the parade.
According to Henry Brown, who chaired the planning committee for the event, the organizing got underway in August 2009, when the Dr. Martin Luther King Day Planning Committee began envisioning the day’s events and special guests. Actors James Pickens, Jr., from TV’s “Grey’s Anatomy”, and Malcolm David Kelley, from TV’s “Lost”, served as Grand Marshals for the event.
Jonathan Kendrick contributed to this story. Photos by Dana Ross Photography.
Tags: dr. martin luther king jr. day dr. ralph c. watkins inglewood the tabernacle of faithful central bible church unfolding dream