Building on the dream

Awards cap city's Martin Luther King celebration

By Laura Johnston and Mike Wells ~ Southeast Missourian

Five Cape Girardeau residents and a peace group were honored Monday for building on the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King. The awards were bestowed at three different observances in the city of the slain civil rights leader's birthday.

At the evening celebration at Second Baptist Church, the 2004 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award for Community Service was presented to both Dr. Craig Downing, assistant professor in the Industrial and Engineering Technology Department at Southeast Missouri State University, and to the SEMO Coalition for Peace and Justice, which is headed by Dr. Robert Polack, assistant professor of social work at Southeast.

During the third annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Benefit luncheon at the Osage Community Centre, four winners of the Dr. John C. Ritter Humanitarian Service award were announced. They are: Leola Twiggs, director of Cape Head Start; Mary Kasten, former state representative; Sherry Maxwell, director of Kids Beat; and local businessman John Tlapek.

Downing volunteers as a mentor with Project Upward Bound, Student Support Services and Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, or GEAR UP. He also works with groups off campus and helps people who have been dislocated from their work or homes get back on their feet through Project Hope.

'Look into the future'

Downing said he models his work on King's methods by teaching more just textbook knowledge.

"I believe my charge in life goes well beyond what I do for the university," Downing said. "I know it's not just math I give. It's not just education. ... Look beyond what you're doing now. Look into the future."

Polack has organized anti-war efforts in Cape Girardeau, including weekly protests on street corners that endured harsh criticism and harassment. He recalled King's protest of the Vietnam War.

"Dr. King has been a tremendous influence in my life," Polack said. "He's deeply inspired me on many different levels."

This was the first time the honor was given to two recipients, said the Rev. David Allen of the award committee.

"We had so many outstanding nominations that it was hard to narrow it down to just one," Allen said. "And with that we decided it would be OK to give an award to an individual and to an organization."

Selections from King's writings were read by seven youths, and members of the clergy expounded on King's message and the lessons that can be learned from them today.

Dominique Jones read a portion of King's "I have a dream" speech, and the Rev. J. Friedel reminded the audience, "King's dream was really God's dream -- and God dreams big dreams."

The Rev. Wiley Reed, pastor of Second Baptist Church, said all of King's writings and speeches could be spun together seamlessly to teach a message of unity.

Three soloists performed gospel tunes accompanied by choirs and musicians.

The city's day of celebration began with the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Breakfast Monday morning at the Show Me Center. Choirs from the Baptist Student Center, a Malden church and Charleston High School performed.

Something every day

Brandon Shelton, an associate with the Indianapolis law firm of Ogeltree Deakins, spoke to a crowd of 950 people. He warned that King's dream for a nation ruled by equality and justice could die if people rely on contorted media images or political rhetoric about affirmative action as a means of carrying it on.

The holiday marking King's life "is useless if we only celebrate once a year and not make a point of doing something every day of our life," he said.

People should strengthen relationships outside of their own race and stop expecting others to conform to their ideals, Shelton said.

"We've reached a point where we have to openly talk about the issues related to race," he said. "Every one of us has to plan to open the dialogue on race."

If individuals don't confront their own prejudices, they then become paralyzed by the fear that they will offend another, he said.

mwells@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 160

ljohnston@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 126