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PAGE 12A - THE COMMERCE (GA) NEWS. WEDNESDAY. TANUARY 23. 2008
Citizens Pay Tribute To A Civil Rights Giant
Those in attendance at the 24th annual reciting the Bible Pledge.The Bible bearer was
Martin Luther King Jr. Commeration Birthday Catera Jackson.
Celebration joined the Rev. Fred Wilson in Photo by April Reece Sorrow
By April Reece Sorrow
An Athens Superior Court
Judge wore a different hat
Sunday as he addressed a group
of hundreds gathered at the St.
Paul Baptist Church in Jefferson.
He stood before his peers who
had gathered to celebrate the
birth and life of the great Civil
Rights leader Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr. not as a judge but as a
man, a man who encouraged his
peers not to be afraid.
“Do not be afraid to enter the
Promised Land," said the honor
able Steve Jones, Athens Clarke
County Superior Court judge.
“Shoot for the stars, you can’t be
afraid to do what you have to to
reach the stars. If Dr. King had
been afraid, what would have
happened to us?"
Jones compared the plight of
King to that of the 12 men Moses
sent from Egypt to the Promised
Land, as told in Numbers chapter
13. The men turned back after
viewing the difficult journey ahead,
saying “No, we are not able to go
up to this people, because they are
stronger than we."
“We fail to realize the struggles
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. went
through (for the Civil Rights
Movement). Parents are afraid to
tell their children how it was. In
school, they had used books or
no books and they grew up to be
doctors or lawyers. Today, they
have everything and they are
dropping-out. Too many people
have worked too hard, sacrificed
too much, for you to turn down
opportunities," he said.
Jones said the Promised Land
is a high school diploma, a col
lege degree, technical degree,
registering to vote and voting,
home ownership and being a
part of your community.
Jones said fear keeps people
from standing up for what is
right; fear of losing luxuries,
fear of being shunned by peers,
fear to trust in God.
“The God King served was
able. Go ahead and enter the
Promised Land."
A rendition of “Go Tell it on
the Mountain (that a boy named
King was born)" followed the
speech.
Jones was accompanied by his
wife, Lily, and brother. He was
introduced by Marvin Nunnaly.
Songs, quotes
and promises
A program of beautiful music,
memorable quotes from Martin
Luther King Jr. and promises to
“keep the dream alive" preceded
the keynote speaker.
“May we all be creative extrem
ist," said Donald Moore, Jackson
County State Court Solicitor,
during his welcome on behalf
of the city and county govern
ments. Moore spoke on King’s
“Letter from a Birmingham Jail."
King wrote: “... though I was
initially disappointed at being
categorized as an extremist, as
I continued to think about the
matter I gradually gained a mea
sure of satisfaction from the
label. Was not Jesus an extrem
ist for love: “Love your enemies,
bless them that curse you, do
good to them that hate you, and
pray for them which despitefully
use you, and persecute you."
Was not Amos an extremist for
justice: “Let justice roll down
like waters and righteousness
like an ever-flowing stream."
Was not Paul an extremist for
the Christian gospel: “I bear in
my body the marks of the Lord
Jesus." Was not Martin Luther
an extremist: “Here I stand; I
cannot do otherwise, so help me
God." And John Bunyan: “I will
stay in jail to the end of my days
before I make a butchery of
my conscience." And Abraham
Lincoln: “This nation cannot sur
vive half slave and half free."
And Thomas Jefferson: “We hold
these truths to be self-evident,
that all men are created equal..."
So the question is not whether
we will be extremists, but what
kind of extremists we will be."
The national and local themes
for this year’s celebration were:
“Remember! Celebrate! Act!" “A
Day On, Not A Day Off" and “A
Dreamer Shoots for the Stars,"
respectively.
During Sunday’s program,
presiding officer the Rev. R.E.
Cooper offered a call to wor
ship, veterans presented the col
ors, and the Rev. Fred Wilson,
pastor of Homer First Baptist
Church, led the audience in the
pledges.
Zarry Brown of the MLK Choir
sang “Jesus, Be A Fence" and the
Rev. Sharon Miller of Paradise
AME Church, Jefferson, read the
old testament selection. The Rev.
Dr. Marvin Simmons, pastor of
St. Paul First Baptist Church,
Jefferson, read from the new tes
tament. The Rev. Harold Harris,
pastor of Sardis Presbyterian
Church, Jefferson, spoke on
“The Knock on Heaven’s Door."
Roshanda Merritt, Jefferson,
spoke on Extending Our Open
Arms.
The Rev. Anthony Howell, pas
tor of Warren Chapel United
Methodist Church, Commerce,
offered the Dream Keeper’s
Pledge, and Hilda Wilhite,
Jefferson, read “ A Dream of
Equality." Claudine Watson, of
the MLK Choir, sang “Walking
in the Light." Hazel Roach read a
self-written poem “A Missionary
For Christ."
Performers included Anita
Brown Jackson, Jefferson, who
read “The Drum Major Instinct"
and Azsia Rosenbaum who
recited “Dr. King Quotations."
The State of the Art Performers
performed a duet with Kendall
Sims on organ and Anthony
Gordon on drums. Alexander
Wymbs, 11, Jeff Swinney and
Daniel Miller, 8, performed
drum solos.
Other speakers included
Ranarta Pittman, who spoke
on King Memorials and Renay
Hinton, who spoke of the late
Yolanda King. The MLK choir,
with soloist Colotta Shields, sang
“A Leak in this Old Building."
Lucille Law introduced the
board members.
AWARDS
Lula Ivory was named “Citizen
of the Year" and honorable
Steve Jones was given the
“Drum Major of the Year" award.
Jefferson Motor Company was
recognized as “Entrepreneur of
the Year."
Achievement awards were pre
sented to: Amyn Meghani; Misty
Lewis; Lucille Cooper; Faye Law;
the Rev. Tonya Moon; Tywone
Craig; Lula Sims; the Rev.
Anthony and Mrs. Jacqueline
Superior Court Judge Steve
Jones was the keynote speaker
for the local Martin Luther King
Jr. Birthday Celebration.
Howell; Tamika Craig; Clifford
Poole Jr.; the Rev. Fred Wilson;
Betty Studivant; Marcayla
Hester; Akalia Meadows; Tazja
Craig; Katie Christian; Hazel
Roach; and the Jackson County
Summer Program.
BOARD MEMBERS
Board members for the MLK
commemorative event are: the
Rev. R.E. Cooper, president; the
Rev. Fred Wilson, vice president;
Audrey Strickland, secretary;
Roshuanda Merritt, assistant
secretary; Lula Pittman, treasur
er; the Rev. Julius Mack, building
and grounds chairman; the Rev.
Steve Jackson, finance chair
man; Lucille Cooper, program
chairman; Elizabeth Martin,
assistant program chairman; the
Rev. Anthony Howell, advisor;
and Melvin Geter II, advisor.
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The new Georgia Fund
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To qualify for this scholarship,
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• meet the minimum attendance
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• achieve the status of 'Test
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For more information, call the
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during regular business hours
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The Georgia Fund Scholarship
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