Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Day Celebration
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Dancers from San Rafael Elementary delighted onlookers who attended the Jan. 16 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations at 515 W. High Street in Grants. Creg Gergen - CC -
City of Grants Mayor Erik Garcia attended and spoke at the Jan. 16 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations at the 515 W. High Street building in Grants, New Mexico. The 17-year-old event is about turning passion into activism and reminding the community of how Dr. King transformed the country in terms of civil rights. Creg Gergen - CC
GRANTS, N.M. – The 17th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration at the 515 W. High Street Cibola County Complex honored the remarkable civil rights leader. The Grants High School MCJROTC Honor Guard opened the ceremony by presenting colors followed by the national anthem.
Pastor Robert Pouges from the San Mateo Baptist Mission gave a moving opening prayer. Grants Mayor Erik Garcia and Councilman George Garcia also attended the event with Mayor Garcia greeting the small crowd with a short statement. Kevin Bennet stated in his reflection speech, “Let us not just make this a day off, let us make this a day to honor Dr. King.”
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta Georgia. As a Baptist minister and activist, he became the leader, and voice of the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assignation in 1968. He demonstrated the power of peaceful protests through nonviolence and civil disobedience. Civil rights activists faced seemingly insurmountable obstacles while facing violence and resistance from numerous fronts. Yet, Dr. King and the civil rights movement persevered pushing for equality and rights for minorities.
Dr. King was a man of great accomplishment. He received his Ph.D. from Boston University, Received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 for combating racial inequality through nonviolent resistance, and was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1974 and a Congressional Gold Medal in 2004. On August 28, 1963, Dr. King delivered his famous ‘I Have a Dream’ speech at the March on Washington. He dreamed of racial equality and people being judged on their character and not the color of their skin. On April 4, 1968, at the age of 39 years old, Dr, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated by gunshot and is buried at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park.
On January 20, 1986, three years after President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into federal law, Martin Luther King Day was first observed.
Stacey Corley spoke to the crowd and delivered a remarkable speech on how far people have come since the civil rights movement. Mr. Corley talked about the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921. The Greenwood neighborhood was a vibrant community with successful businesses run by black members of the community, it was so successful it became known as ‘America’s Black Wallstreet.’ In less than 24 hours Greenwood was destroyed by racial violence.
The celebration demonstrated how perseverance and dedication to a cause can overcome the strongest of resistance. Dr. King dedicated his life to equality and fairness. He had a dream and followed that dream despite the hardships and violence thrown at him, his family, and his civil rights activist. It was his dream that inspired others to see a better tomorrow for not just themselves but for generations to come.
Cibola County celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the incredible work that has led to a better society for all. The primary message from Monday’s meeting was that, as humans, there is still a way to go to finish the work Dr. King started, but he left a solid base to continue building upon.