It was a perfect day to march.
At 11 a.m., as the sun neared its highest point and the day became unseasonably warm, a crowd of marchers departed from Missionary Union Baptist Church. They marched to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
As the group moved up Seventh Avenue North, the people sang “This Little Light of Mine” and other hymns. There were old preachers. There were young dancers. The closer the crowd came to the Hunt School and Museum, the more people joined its ranks.
For Rev. Kamal Karriem, the chairman of the committee in charge of organizing the weekend’s MLK events, it was a rewarding moment.
“It was beautiful to look back and see all the children enjoying themselves,” he said. “I could see the enlightenment on their faces.”
Among the young faces Karriem was moved by was Adam Hilton, a 16-year-old New Hope High School student who spent his day off marching. The march, he said, lent historical perspective.
“It felt good to feel apart of the history and feel what it was like in those days,” Hilton said.
That feeling was what the event’s organizers were shooting for. “Back to the old landmark” was the theme selected for this year’s celebration.
The marchers gathered in the Hunt Intermediate gymnasium to hear the speaker, Sen. David Jordan.
Jordan has served District 24 since 1993, is a renowned political, activist and one of the few remaining attendees of the Emmett Till murder trial in the Delta, which galvanized the civil rights movement.
Jordan’s message was simple. To move forward, the African American community and civil rights leaders need to go back to the Christian roots of the movement in the 1960s.
“Where do we go from here?” he said. “We go back to God.”
Jordan opened his speech by claiming God had created all people to be equal and that no one race is superior to any other.
“We are brothers and sisters,” he said.
He also talked about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a man who Jordan said, “died with his shoes on trying to make folks understand that we are related.”
Jordan told the marchers there was still work to be done to reach equality. He impressed on the marchers the importance of having courage and “good moral standing.” He reminded African Americans to be proud of who they are.
“Straighten yourself up,” he said.
He claimed that there had been too much violence and drug abuse and encouraged parents to teach their children to respect themselves and others.
“We are drifting away from basic principles,” Jordan said.
He also impressed the importance of registering to vote.
“There’s no excuse … not to go to the polls,” he said.
He also spoke angrily about voter ID laws throughout the South, saying that IDs should not be mandatory because voting is a right.
He also talked about the importance of education for all ages, not just children. He referenced Educational Initiative 42, which the state will vote on in November of this year.
Following Jordan’s speech, Reverend Kamal Karriem spoke about Initiative 42. He and members of the Political Action for Mississippi took up a collection that will fund their organization’s campaign to educate people in the state about the initiative.
The ceremony concluded with a prayer by Rev. Joe Lee Peoples.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 43 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.