The spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was honored on his national holiday with a call for those who believe in his message to keep practicing his principles of love and nonviolence.
The Concerned Citizens Committee and the Wheatley Historical Preservation Association organized and hosted the 35th Annual Celebration of Dr. King’s birthday at Wheatley School and Park in Poplar Bluff at 11 a.m. Monday, Jan. 18.
The presentations were held as a drive-up event due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. With 23 vehicles in attendance, speakers addressed the crowd from beneath a pavilion on the park grounds.
The keynote speaker was Rev. Ronald McClain of Central Missionary Baptist Church, who opened the ceremony with a prayer from 1 Cor. 1:10, which says, “I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.”
This message of overcoming divisions and striving for unity was the theme of the day, both in remembrance of Dr. King and as an ongoing mission for those who continue his work today.
McClain, who was introduced by Rex Rattler, said in response to our tense national climate today, “If you love this nation, you’re not going to try to tear it down, you will lift it up.”
In response to ongoing racial divisions, McClain pointed out that “there is only one race of people: the human race.”
He spoke of King’s commitment to nonviolence, calling him “the chief spokesman for the nonviolent movement.”
The theme of this year’s annual commemoration was Day of Service 2021 — Learn, Serve, and Celebrate with Your Community. McClain emphasized the importance of community as the foundation of peaceful and productive lives.
“The ideal of community is God’s idea for us,” McClain said. “It is important to maintain a connection with our fellow men and women.”
Prior to McClain’s address, Rhonda Kennedy welcomed the attendees to the event and introduced Emily Wolpers, who provided a tribute to Dr. King’s life.
Wolpers spoke about Dr. King’s eulogy, which was delivered by Baptist minister Dr. Benjamin Mays at King’s funeral in 1968.
Mays said King stood for “nonviolence as a way of perfecting social change in a world of brutality and war.”
Wolpers stated that King believed in a united America, and she quoted Mays as saying, “moral courage was one of his noblest virtues.”
McClain echoed these sentiments in speaking about King’s courage in the face of opposition and adversity.
“If God is on your side, don’t be afraid,” McClain said. “Dr. King was not afraid.”
McClain also emphasized the importance of love and fellowship to heal conflict and division in our communities.
“The only thing that is going to help our community is prayer and love.”
Although Dr. King was only 39 years old at the time of his assassination, Wolpers cited Mays’ eulogy, in which he said, “It isn’t how long one lives, but how well.”
Mays’ eulogy concludes with this poignant idea: “If physical death was the price he had to pay to rid America of prejudice and injustice, nothing could be more redemptive.”