The annual Martin Luther King Jr. luncheon Wednesday featured four different presentations apart from the guest speaker, Carolyn Smith. Its theme was: "The Dream Realized"
"I think today was excellent," said Smith, the Center Scientist and Engineer Workforce Development Branch chief, of the event. "The presentations added some additional inspiration to the luncheon."
Among those presentations was a reenactment of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. meeting to speak about King's infamous speech at the Washington Monument. Staff Sgt. Tchaikovsky Crosley, from the 75th Security Forces Squadron, played King as Jack Hyer, a Northridge High School senior, acted out the part of Robert Kennedy.
The two discussed the march as Kennedy expressed caution from his brother, John F. Kennedy, over possible violence from the rally, gently warning King that police force would be used if the crowd got out of control. King's response was to reassure him of his tried-and-true practice of nonviolence that he became so well known for. The reenactment drew a popular response from the crowd as a few gave a standing ovation.
There were also two musical performances, both in a cappela. Lequiya Jordan and Cameron Swanson sang "Amazing Grace" together and afterward, the Hill Air Force Base Choir sang a gospel song. Following the musical performances, Team Hill's African American Heritage Committee did a presentation entitled, "Remember Me."
The AAHC members took two or three African Americans who have made a dent in history and gave a first-person synopsis of each. They ended each of the descriptions with saying, "I am (said person), and I ask you to remember me." Of those described were Crispus Attucks, President Abraham Lincoln, Bessie Coleman, Langston Hughes, Paul Robeson, Martin Luther King Jr., Thurgood Marshall, Ronald McNair, Maya Angelou and President Barack Obama.
The main speaker, Carolyn Smith, spoke on the theme of the lunch, the importance of remembering the nation's history and the importance of youth in the movement. She also recited a portion of Langston Hughes' poem, "Freedom's Plow," in the beginning of which Hughes makes a call to action for the community to each to individually put a hand and push on the plow toward freedom for all.
The youth movements were a point of interest to her, talking about the young adults and teenagers who took rides on buses through the deep south to challenge local segregation laws enforced at bus stations and restaurants. She also spoke about the children's crusades in Alabama where elementary age children gathered at King's church and would walk out into the streets singing gospel songs. Those historic efforts lasted for three days and despite continuous opposition, and sometimes violence from police, the crusades grew into masses every day. Shortly after these crusades came the passing of the historic Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Smith added to her point about the unrest during the movement, saying that it is history, not modern day, adding a quote from Nelson Mandela who said, "Without forgiveness, there is no future." She added to Mendela's point of forgiveness, saying "History has not taught us to use it as a vendetta, but rather to help propel us towards our dream."
After this, she went over five reasons why we need to keep talking about history. The first, Smith said, was because we never want to repeat it. The second was a need to assess how far we've come and the third was to continuously monitor ourselves and those around us to not repeat it. The fourth was to maintain equal access in employment and everything else we do. And the fifth and final one, Smith said, "As African Americans, we must remember who brought us through the hard times." She quoted a line from "Lift Every Voice," what she called the African American Anthem, saying "God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, Thou who hast brought us thus far on the way; Thou who hast by Thy might, Led us into the light, Keep us forever in the path, we pray."
Smith summed up her speech saying, "Laws may change actions, but laws don't change hearts."
