MLK speaker in Cape says progress built by those 'who suffered great pain'

Celebrations held in Cape Girardeau on Monday honored the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by looking at the past to improve the future.

The day began with the 29th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Breakfast at the Salvation Army. Nearly 100 people attended the event, which was hosted by the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Citywide Celebration Committee. The Rev. Joseph Nixon, pastor of St. Peter's AME Church in St. Louis, was the keynote speaker and brought the crowd to its feet on multiple occasions.

He began his speech with a biblical quote from the apostle Paul that says "remember my chains."

"When we look back at the accomplishments of Dr. King, we have a lot to be thankful for," Nixon said. "But we must remember, the progress of this great nation came on the backs of men and women who suffered great pain."

Nixon said his greatest concern is keeping King's message relevant to current generations. In order to continue the progression toward full equality, Nixon said, it's important to "remember our heritage."

Even sitting at a table at the back of the room, Denise Lincoln said she felt moved by Nixon's speech.

"It's humbling in that we really have come so far, yet we have a long way to go to be united in our community," she said. "It's inspiring, too, to mark and remember the progress and the struggle of those that came before us."

Debra Mitchell-Braxton, founder and executive director of the celebration committee, said Nixon's speech gave her hope, but she still hopes to see more people come out to celebrate and carry on King's dream.

"This day is a national day of service, not a national day of rest," she said. "The most persistent and urgent question that Dr. King asked people was 'What are you doing for others?'"

Event organizers not only asked attendees to think about King's message, they gave them an opportunity to be a part of it. Rather than charge an admission fee for the breakfast or the following luncheon, people were asked to bring canned goods or school supplies, which Mitchell-Braxton said would be distributed to organizations throughout the community that would place them in the hands of those in need.

"That was our way of providing a service for the community today," she said.

At the breakfast, Mitchell-Braxton said she was disappointed by the lack of community leaders present that morning. By the time the Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Luncheon began at noon, however, a few were sitting among the crowd, including U.S. Rep. Jason Smith and city councilman Wayne Bowen.

After the food and musical celebrations, guest speaker the Rev. Edmund E. Lowe Sr., presiding elder of the St. Louis-Cape Girardeau District of the Missouri Conference of the AME Church, spoke about living King's dream every day.

Lowe said in order to achieve full equality, it's important to consider not only race, but economics. The country lives "in the throes of abundance," he said, but still struggles with rampant poverty.

"We live in a country where everyone has the dream and has the goal of sitting at the table of abundance, but how do they get to that table?" Lowe said.

The key to achieving full equality and realizing King's dream is not only about working hard for personal gain, but turning to neighbors to help with their struggles, he said.

"We're not just remembered by the color of our skin anymore," Lowe said. "We're remembered if we're honest ... we're remembered by our integrity, by our actions and by the way we treated others."

The luncheon also honored local people for their work as "foot soldiers in the community." The C. John Ritter Humanitarian award, dedicated to the late Cape Girardeau physician known for his philanthropic work in the community, was given to Gwen McGee, who was unable to attend for health reasons.

Beulah Vann-Perry, who has attended the luncheon for many years, said she enjoyed the event and was impressed by the speaker and the food.

"It was fabulous," she said.

srinehart@semissourian.com

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