MLK Day Brings Unity in Community
by William "Brother" Rogers
America will celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King tomorrow with a national holiday. Starkville and Oktibbeha County also will celebrate this holiday beginning tonight with an integrated worship service at First Presbyterian Church and continuing on Monday with a prayer breakfast at Mt. Pelier Baptist Church and a downtown parade on Monday afternoon followed by speeches on the steps of the courthouse.
We have made recent progress in race relations in the 1990s, and the King holiday celebration provides an interesting measure of that progress. As the decade began, the King holiday was considered a "black thing" by whites and blacks alike. In the early 1990s just after I became facilitator for the Race Relations Team, I found myself at the courthouse on Martin Luther King Day listening to the speeches of black community leaders. All of the speakers were black and only a handful of whites were in the audience.
I was particularly interested in the speech of one of the local black leaders. His reputation among whites was such that I was prepared to hear a presentation on how white racism was the cause of all the ills in the black community. Surprisingly, I heard a speech completely different in tone and content from what I expected (and learned a personal lesson about stereotyping).
The speaker did not mention white racism even once. Instead, he told the crowd that education was the most important issue for blacks. He challenged the young people to make high grades, develop good study habits with homework, and not be disruptive in the classroom. His message to young black males was that getting a girl pregnant was not a demonstration of manhood, but a sign of immaturity and a rejection of Biblical values preached by Dr. King. He decried the use of drugs, told parents to make children obey, and admonished the youth to stay out of trouble with the law. Finally, he talked about the value of family stability and the importance of living by Christian principles.
After the speech I wished more whites could experience what I heard. Thankfully, through the leadership of ministers, community leaders and others, that was the last King holiday celebrated by blacks only in Starkville. Over the last few years, whites and blacks have worked together to use this opportunity to further racial healing and racial understanding in our community.
A number of prominent white and black churches have held integrated worship services. More whites come to the courthouse for the Monday afternoon speeches, including white political leaders. Two years ago, a white professor from MSU was the keynote speaker. Each year the Starkville Daily News runs headlines such as "Races Unite for MLK Day" – a headline envied by many towns across our state and nation. I have had inquiries from cities in four states asking about how Starkville has transformed this holiday into a true community-wide event.
New developments continue to occur each year. For example, last year a Martin Luther King essay contest was initiated at the junior high and high schools in the city and the county with monetary rewards for the winners. This year Starkville Academy also will participate in the essay contest.
Perhaps the most important new symbol of unity in community is the fact that for the first time the Starkville Rotary Club and Starkville Academy will not meet on Monday in order to observe the King holiday.
Our community is realizing that Martin Luther King was not just a black hero. He was an American hero whose vision of blacks and whites working and living together peacefully continues to inspire our country and our community. That is why all of us come together in a spirit of unity on his birthday.
Fittingly, the churches play a leading role in this effort to realize Dr. King’s dream. At its root, racism is a spiritual problem which requires the spiritual solution of forgiveness, redemption, and love. There is much more to be done before we fully achieve Dr. King’s dream, but it’s good to know we live in a community that is striving to be on the right track.
Brother Rogers is assistant director of the Stennis Center and facilitator of the Race Relations Team.
America will celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King tomorrow with a national holiday. Starkville and Oktibbeha County also will celebrate this holiday beginning tonight with an integrated worship service at First Presbyterian Church and continuing on Monday with a prayer breakfast at Mt. Pelier Baptist Church and a downtown parade on Monday afternoon followed by speeches on the steps of the courthouse.
We have made recent progress in race relations in the 1990s, and the King holiday celebration provides an interesting measure of that progress. As the decade began, the King holiday was considered a "black thing" by whites and blacks alike. In the early 1990s just after I became facilitator for the Race Relations Team, I found myself at the courthouse on Martin Luther King Day listening to the speeches of black community leaders. All of the speakers were black and only a handful of whites were in the audience.
I was particularly interested in the speech of one of the local black leaders. His reputation among whites was such that I was prepared to hear a presentation on how white racism was the cause of all the ills in the black community. Surprisingly, I heard a speech completely different in tone and content from what I expected (and learned a personal lesson about stereotyping).
The speaker did not mention white racism even once. Instead, he told the crowd that education was the most important issue for blacks. He challenged the young people to make high grades, develop good study habits with homework, and not be disruptive in the classroom. His message to young black males was that getting a girl pregnant was not a demonstration of manhood, but a sign of immaturity and a rejection of Biblical values preached by Dr. King. He decried the use of drugs, told parents to make children obey, and admonished the youth to stay out of trouble with the law. Finally, he talked about the value of family stability and the importance of living by Christian principles.
After the speech I wished more whites could experience what I heard. Thankfully, through the leadership of ministers, community leaders and others, that was the last King holiday celebrated by blacks only in Starkville. Over the last few years, whites and blacks have worked together to use this opportunity to further racial healing and racial understanding in our community.
A number of prominent white and black churches have held integrated worship services. More whites come to the courthouse for the Monday afternoon speeches, including white political leaders. Two years ago, a white professor from MSU was the keynote speaker. Each year the Starkville Daily News runs headlines such as "Races Unite for MLK Day" – a headline envied by many towns across our state and nation. I have had inquiries from cities in four states asking about how Starkville has transformed this holiday into a true community-wide event.
New developments continue to occur each year. For example, last year a Martin Luther King essay contest was initiated at the junior high and high schools in the city and the county with monetary rewards for the winners. This year Starkville Academy also will participate in the essay contest.
Perhaps the most important new symbol of unity in community is the fact that for the first time the Starkville Rotary Club and Starkville Academy will not meet on Monday in order to observe the King holiday.
Our community is realizing that Martin Luther King was not just a black hero. He was an American hero whose vision of blacks and whites working and living together peacefully continues to inspire our country and our community. That is why all of us come together in a spirit of unity on his birthday.
Fittingly, the churches play a leading role in this effort to realize Dr. King’s dream. At its root, racism is a spiritual problem which requires the spiritual solution of forgiveness, redemption, and love. There is much more to be done before we fully achieve Dr. King’s dream, but it’s good to know we live in a community that is striving to be on the right track.
Brother Rogers is assistant director of the Stennis Center and facilitator of the Race Relations Team.
