Newspaper Page Text
Page14
“Cl@eping CThe "Dream ’
Keynote address by DR. LOUISE A. RICE, First National Vice
President, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast on January 20, 2003 presented
by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Augusta, Ga. : :
"~ Good morning. This is the day
that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice
and be glad in it! I am rejoicing and
truly pleased to be with you this
morning, and I thank the brothers of
Alpha Chi Lambda Chapter of Alpha
Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., for extend
ing the invitation to me as speaker ‘on
this most solemn and important occa
sion, the Martin Luther King, Jr.,
national holiday observance.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one
of the world’s greatest leaders, is
among the ranks of many distin
guished men of Alpha Phi Alpha
Fraternity. Beginning with the seven
men who founded the fraternity in
1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca,
New York, Alpha men have indeed
been the trailblazers who have led our
nation to greater heights. Alpha men
who join Dr. King in having made
their indelible mark on world affairs
include: W. E. B Dubois, Thurgood
Marshal, Paul Robeson, Adam
Clayton Powell, Jr., and others. And
following in their pioneering paths are
such distinguished leaders as Alpha
Phi Alpha’s general president, Harry
E. Johnson, Sr.; scholar and author Dr.
Cornel West; former new Orleans
mayor Marc Morial; Georgia con
gressman David Scott; Detroit Mayor
Kwame Kilpatrick; the honorable
Andrew Young; and locally, Judge John
Ruffin; former Senator Charles L.
Walker, Sr; former mayor, Edward
Mcllntyre; and all of the Alpha broth
ers gathered here this morning. Alpha
Phi Alpha boasts a proud heritage, and
it is indeed awesome to have among
your membership, a man known as one
of the world’s greatest leaders, a drum
Major for justice — Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr.
The immense contributions that
Dr. King offered to humankind during
his very short life here on earth are
immeasurable. Long before his birth
day, January 15, was declared a nation
al holiday, African Americans celebrat
ed his life and recognized his work as
it related to eradicating racism, poverty
and injustice.
4+ 2 « +9O, today.on this third monday in .
January, America officially observes
the profound legacy of Martin Luther
King, Jr., a son of a baptist preacher,
born in Atlanta, Ga., on January 15, .
1929. Martin, Jr., a baptist minister
himself, a civil rights leader, a hus
band, a father, a brother, a Morehouse
man, an Alpha man, a man of God-
Martin Luther King, Jr., the first
African American to be honored with
a national holiday, a day that we do
not take lightly. Many African
Americans spend this day learning
more about Dr. King: “the man, the
movement, and the message.” The
nobility of his life’s work to the
African American race is reflected here
today. Would you get up this early to
go to breakfast on your day off for say
President’s Day, Valentine’s Day,
or St. Patrick’s Day? I think not.
But to pay tribute to Dr. King, a
resounding yes!
In an effort to decide exactly
what I would talk about this
morning, I shared my concern
with some of my students at
Augusta State University to see
if they might have some sugges
tions. After a couple of days and
some deliberation among them,
a small group came in one
morning and asked me if I had
made a decision on what I was
going to talk about. I responded,
“No, but I'm getting there,” to
which they responded, “We
know what you should talk
about.”
Extremely impressed and
delighted, I asked, “What?” The
response was, “The celebration is
at 7:30 in the morning, right?” I
responded, “Yes.” They then
said, “You should talk about 20-
25 minutes and take your seat.” I
promised them I would do that.
What comes to your mind
when you think of Rev. King?
Religious leader, civil rights, seg
regation, youngest person to win
the nobel peace prize, or bus
boycotts? Do you sadly remem
ber his assassination in
fatal day of April 4, 1968? Do you joy
ously recall his powerful gift of oratory
—the anointed dynamic, moving
speaker and preacher? The handsome
husband of Coretta Scott King and the
father of four young children whom he
did not see grow to be successful
adults? Or maybe when you reflect on
the legacy of Dr. King, you think of
the freedom riders, voting rights, non
violence, or you simply think about
your own involvement in the civil
rights movement. Let’s pause for a
moment and remember and applaud
those of us present this morning who
were a part of what Dr. King called his
“ground crew.” Raise your hand or
stand up, if you feel like it, if you were
a freedom rider, marched in civil rights
r
L
B
s m
N gl( e s
Club Car
- ®
—— Sty 1o .‘” 5
*For the latest class ranking by the NGCOA (National Golf Course Owners Association),
visit www.clubcar.com. Or call 1-800-ClubCar for a free catalog.
demonstrations, protested at stores,
participated in sit-ins, went to jail,
bailed people out of jail, served as legal
counsel, or if your family housed or fed
any of the civil rights workers!
Dr. Kings leadership to end
racism and segregation in America was
extraordinary and profound. He led
non-violent movements throughout
the south, realizing huge successes in
many areas and lesser triumphant
results in some cases —the city of
Albany, in our own state of Georgia
being one of them. He went from
organizing the Montgomery bus boy
cott in the 1950 s to registering voters
in Selma, Alabama and throughout the
south in the 19605, to desegregating
continued on page 15