The Savannah tribune. (Savannah, Ga.) 1973-current, January 11, 2023, Image 1

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Newspaper Page TextAnniversary of the Birth of f Martin Luther King, Jr Spatial Edtifoti Georgia *$ Best Weekly PRSRTSTD U S. POSTAGE PAID Savannah. GA Permit No. 923 SHE January 11,2023 - January 17, 2023 VoL 53 No. 02 Tel: 912-233-^128 * Fax: 912-233-614fl IMPS MLK Jr. Blvd. Sav., GA 3141S w ww.sa va mi ah tiil) 11 nc.com “What Is Your Life s Blueprint?”by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. An excerpt of a speech delivered to students at Barratt Junior High (Philadelphia - October 26, 1967), nine years after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was stabbed in Harlem, NY (1958) I want to ask you a question, and that is: what is in your life’s Blue print? This is the most im portant and crucial period of your lives. For what you do now and what you decide now at this age may well determine which way your life shall go. And whenever a building is constructed, you usually have an architect who draws a blueprint. And that blueprint serves as the pattern, as the guide, as the model, for those who are to build the building. And a building is not well erected without a good, sound, and solid blueprint. Now each of you is in the process of building the structure of your lives, and the question is: whether you have a proper, a solid, and a sound blueprint. And I want to suggest some of the things that should be in your life’s blueprint. #1: Principal of Somebodies Number one in your life’s blueprint should be: a deep belief in your own dig nity, your own worth and your own somebodies. Don’t allow anybody to make you feel that you are nobody. Always feel that you count. Always feel that you have worth, and al ways feel that your life has ul timate significance. Now that means you should not be ashamed of your color. Don’t be ashamed of your color. Don’t be ashamed of your biological features. Somehow you must be able to say in your own lives, and really believe it, “I Am Black But Beautiful!” and believe that in your heart. And therefore you need not be lured into purchas ing cosmetics advertised to make you lighter, neither do you need to process your hair to make it appear straight. I have good hair and it is as good as anybody else’s in the world. And we’ve got to believe that. Now in your life’s blueprint, be sure that you have a princi ple of some- bodiness. #2: Deter mination to achieve excellence Secondly, in your life’s b lue - will do in life — what your life’s work will be. And once you dis cover what it will be, set out to do it, and to do it well. And I say to you, my young friends, that doors are opening to each of you — print you must have as the basic principle the determination to achieve excellence in your various fields of endeavor. You’re go ing to be deciding as the days and the years unfold, what you doors of opportunity are opening to each of you that were not open to your moth ers and your fathers — and the great challenge facing you is to be ready to enter these doors as they open. Ralph Waldo Emer son, the great essayist, said in a lecture back in 1871 that, “If a man can write a better book or preach a better sermon or make a better mousetrap than his neighbor, even if he builds his house in the woods, the world will make a beaten path to his door.” This hadn’t always been true — but it will become increasingly true. And so I would urge you to study hard, to bum the midnight oil. I would say to you, don’t drop out of school. And I under stand all of the sociologi cal reasons why we often drop out of school. But I urge you in spite of your economic plight, in spite of the situation that you are forced to live so often with intolerable conditions, stay in school. And when you dis cover what you’re going to be in life, set out to do it as if God Almighty called you at this particular moment in history to do it. Set out to do a good job and do that job so well that the living, the dead, and the un born couldn’t do it any better. If it falls to your lot to be a street sweeper, sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures. Sweep streets like Beethoven composed music. Sweep streets like Le ontyne Price sings before the Metropolitan Opera, and sweep streets like Shakespeare wrote poetry. Sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will have to pause and say, “Here lived a great street sweeper who swept his job well.” We always, we al ready have some noble exam ples of Black men and Black women who demonstrated to us that human nature cannot be catalogued. Continued on Page 9 The Unitarian Universalist Church of Savannah & The MLK Jr. Observance Day Association Present... The We Are One Concert The Unitarian Uni- versalist Church of Savannah and The Martin Luther King, Jr. Observance Day Associ ation will be presenting The Annual We Are One Concert. The annual concert promoting social justice will feature: • The Choirs of UU Savannah & Savannah State University • Huxsie Scott and Band • Chris Williams (Spoken Word) To be held at the Uni tarian Universalist Church of Savannah, 325 Habersham St., in Troup Square on January 16, 2023 at 2:00 PM. Huxsie Scott Chris Williams The Martin Luther King Jr. Observance Day Association, Inc. Presents: 43rd Annual Celebration Citywide King Memorial Worship Service bbuhmi BORN JANUARY&5,1929 The Martin Luther King Jr. Observance Day As sociation, Inc. has announced plans for the 43rd annual cel ebration of the Citywide Me morial Worship Service. The speaker will be the Reverend Dr. Ephraim D. Stephens, Pas tor of the Historic Bull Swamp Baptist Church of Orangeburg, South Carolina. This service will be held at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 15, 2023 at the Saint Philip Monumental AME Church located at 1112 Jefferson Street, Rev. Dr. Ber nard Clarke, Senior Pastor. This interdenominational City wide Memorial Service is a signature event of the celebra tion and is designed to promote “oneness” among people of all faiths. Reverend Dr. Ephri- am D. Stephens is a native of Smoaks, SC, and is the son of Rev. Dr. Ephraim Stephens Mrs. Patricia Stephens and the late Mr. William Stephens, Sr. A graduate of Gup- ton-Jones College, in Atlanta, 2023 MLK Parade Grand Marshals and Trailblazer Reception Held The Martin Luther King, Jr. Observance Day Association held their 2023 Parade Grand Marshals and Trailblazer Reception Sunday, October 30th at Savannah State University King Fraizer Ball room. During the reception the 2023 Parade Grand Mar shals and Trailblazer were an nounced. Rep. Carl Gillard and Mrs. Carolyn Blackshear will serve as 2023 Parade Grand Marshals and minister Latasha Barnes was named Trailblazer. A life of service is what Carolyn Simpson Black- shear has embraced. She be lieves that this year has been one of renewed strength, per sonal growth, love, peace, and service increased. Blackshear is currently involved in support services to the Homeless, the HIV/AIDS communities and the Red Cross. Second African Baptist Church is her place of worship. She also takes plea sure in serving the following organizations. President of the Savannah Baptist Ministers’ Wives & Ministers’ Widows Carolyn Blackshear Alliance, a member of the Sa vannah Interdenominational Ministers’ Wives and Minis ters’ Widows, Adjutant to the 7th past president of the Inter national Association of Minis ters’ Wives & Ministers’ and Widows, President Emeritus of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Observance Day Association, Inc. and many others. Cur- Carl Gilliard rently, she serves as the prin cipal consultant for Multi-Line Business Services, a full-ser vice business management and secretarial center. Blackshear is married to the Rev. Jesse A. Blackshear. They are the parents of two daughters, five grands and two sons-in-inlaw. Garden City District 162 Representative Carl Wayne Scott Gilliard a Savannah na tive was raised in the Chatham County Schools. He attended Allred Ely Beach High School. He later attended Morris Brown College in Atlanta Georgia and attended New Generation School of Seminary where he earned a Doctrine Divinity. But it was in Atlanta Georgia at Morris Brown College where he met his mentor for life, the Rev. Dr. Hosea Williams. While working with Rev. Wil liams he had an opportunity to work with national leadership including Rev. Dr. Ralph Aber nathy, Rev. Dr. Joseph Lowery, NBA Hall of Famer Walt Bel lamy, former wrestler Thun derbolt Patterson and the late Mrs. Coretta Scott King. Rep. Gilliard returned to Savannah to take action against the vio lence that plagued his city. He fonned the first positive rap group in the nation entitled Candy Love. They became the first rap group to render public service announcements for the United Negro College Fund, and other organizations. Latasha Barnes was bom and raised in Savannah, Georgia. She is a mother of four and has a passion for helping children in her own community. Tasha thrives on, making others smile and giving to those in need. While her life might be simple, she has over come numerous obstacles and always puts the needs of others before her own. As the founder of Save Our Youth Savannah & Divas Wit Purpose. Latasha’s main goal is to serve the youth & families in her community. One of Latasha’s goals is to open a community center for children of all ages and to be able to provide resources for those in the community. Lata sha is a firm believer in God. She’s a member of the House of Freedom Worship Center under Pastor Charles O’ Berry Sr. & 1st Lady Carla O’ Berry. She serves with the Youth Min istry. Georgia, Dr. Stephens also has a bachelor’s and master’s de gree from The School of the Great Commission Theologi cal Seminary in Columbia, SC, where he also received an Hon orary Doctorate in Theology. On August 6, 2017, Reverend Ephriam D. Stephens was installed as the youngest preacher ever to serve as Pas tor of the Historic Bull Swamp Baptist Church of Orange burg, SC. He has been called a “preaching machine,” and most recently a “tornado,” a “hurri cane,” and even a “tsunami” among preachers.” We know him as our Pastor, a gifted preacher, teacher, and entrepre neur. He and his mother, along with others, ministered in years past as “The Faith Gospel Sing ers.” He still blends his love of Gospel music with his preach ing ministry. This successful en trepreneur is the sole propri etor of Maree-Tracy Funeral Home (currently known as Stephens-Maree-Tracy Funeral Home) in Walterboro, and the Ephriam D. Stephens Funer al Home in Sumter, and will soon open the newly construct ed Stephens Funeral Home. A Christian and community lead er, Dr. Stephens serves on the Executive Committee of the Orangeburg-Calhoun Mission ary Baptist Association; is a member of the South Carolina Mortician’s Association and, in May 2022, was elected Gover nor of District One; is a mem ber of the National Mortician’s and Funeral Directors Associa tion, and the NAACP. Pastor Stephens says: “My mission is to preach the good news - The Gospel - to empower the church and the community and encourage pa rishioners to follow me as I follow Christ. God has called me to build, re-build, retain and reclaim souls in the name of Je- “The time is always right to do what is right.” - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. CARVER STATE BANK est. Feb, 23,1927 ROBERT E JAMES LOUIS 6 TOOMER President Since Decemfcfei' 1971 95 Years of Service, Leadership and Success! Founderond IslPresicterd MAIN OFFICE 701 Martin Luther King. Jr. BMJ., Savannah, GA 31401 SKI DAW AY 9 RANCH 7110 Skidaway RtJ., Savannah. GA 31406 Member FDIC M

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The Savannah tribune. (Savannah, Ga.) 1973-current, January 11, 2023, Image 1