Participants marching down Montevallo Main Street. Photo by Carter James, Editor in chief. By Carter James, Editor in chief
Despite the 30-degree weather, over 100 attendees marched down Montevallo’s main street to celebrate the life of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr on Jan 19.
Marchers sang “We Shall Overcome” on their way to Montevallo High School’s auditorium for the accompanying program.
It is the 22nd year that the Shelby County chapter of the NAACP held their annual MLK Day march and program. The event was a promotion of unity and the celebration of the strength of community.
The program started with first Vice President of the Shelby County NAACP, Bobby J. Pierson, leading the auditorium in prayer. He was followed by the welcome from third Vice President of the Shelby County NAACP, Annie Kynard Hackworth, and an explanation of the purpose of the event from second Vice President of the Shelby County NAACP, Kathy King.
“We come together to celebrate Shelby County’s diversity and shared humanity, to continue to build mutual respect through inclusive programming, and accessible opportunities for all age groups,” noted King during her remarks.
King’s statement of purpose drove home the ideas of promoting nonviolence, peaceful civil engagement and collaborative problem solving in the community.
Unity Choir filled the auditorium with their harmonic gospel renditions of “Revelation 19:1.” The choir followed up with a performance of “Total Praise” after greetings from Mayor of Montevallo Rusty Nix, and Montevallo High School SGA President Hunter Jordan.
The choir’s performance made attendees lively, and those who spoke later fired up. “If the walk didn’t get you fired up, the choir sure did,” said Nix, in his greeting during the program.
Shelby County NAACP president, Kenneth Dukes gave a rousing address that recognizes and honors the service and sacrifices Dr. King made in great strides during the civil rights movement.
“He’s representative of the struggle to overcome,” said Dukes in his address. “You’re saying that ‘we shall overcome,’ I say we have overcome.” Dukes brought his address together with the idea of reflecting on how much progress has been made in civil rights for all.
This year’s theme for their program is “Mission Possible II: Building Community, Uniting a Nation the Nonviolent Way.” Gerry J. Bivins, pastor of Bethesda Apostolic Worship Center in Montevallo, was the title speaker.
“We have opportunities today that were never afforded to us 30, 40 years ago,” stated Bivins in his speech. “There are those who have went before us, who have laid the foundation; and now the building should’ve already been built.”
Bivins asked the audience “are you an example?” A question that was a jumping off point for a conversation about continuing the work of cultivating community and promoting unity.
The ceremony concluded with the entire auditorium singing “Lift Every Voice and Sing” as attendees and community organizers alike congregated and exited the event.
This program is the start of the work for the Shelby County NAACP this year. They will be hosting the Black History Month program on Feb. 8 at Montevallo Presbyterian Church at 4pm.
Carter James is the editor in chief of the Alabamian. He is a senior Mass Communication major with a concentration in broadcast production and minor in digital filmmaking. He is an avid cinephile, the occasional gamer and Batman fanatic in his spare time.
