Valley MLK event honors civil rights leader’s work

The 23rd annual Martin Luther King Jr celebration was held at the Glenn Massay Theater at the Mat-Su College on Monday, though Aundra O. Jackson, President of the Mat-Su Martin Luther King, Jr Foundation, Inc. was quick to point out that the event was an honoring of the civil rights leader’s work, not a celebration.

“A celebration means that something has come. We have not come to the dream, so we are honoring his work today,” said Jackson before the event kicked off.

The mission statement for the MLK Foundation is “Unifying ethnicities and faiths through events and educational opportunities,” something Jackson said was carried over in the event.

“This is the event, and we’re here to teach, not just to entertain.” There was music and drama built into the program, with the Alaska Jazz Quartet on hand and a special performance of a medley of songs by Rev. Dr. Rolanda Watson. “It all surrounds the theology and ideology of Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement.”

“We want to educate, not just dancing and singing. We try to present an uplifting program,” echoed Daphne Barbosa, Secretary of the MLK Foundation.

The theme this year was “Breaking Racial Barriers in the Spirit of Nonviolence,” something woven throughout the program as the event paid tribute to the late Melvin Sage-El, II, an Army veteran who served on the MLK Jr Foundation, as well as volunteered for many organizations such as the Rotary Club, Chamber of Commerce, Wasilla Planning Committee, and Military Offices Association of America. He also was an avid fisherman, enjoyed spending time outdoors in Alaska and was an active church member at Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church of Palmer.

The event also recognized the Alaska Highway Project, the work of the LB4LB (pound for pound) Motorcycle Club that has made charitable acts and donations a priority during their activities, special recognition paid to John Childs and the high performance funny car and drag racing family, and a departing gift was prepared by culinary students The King Tech High School in Anchorage.

“This event is important for peace, no matter what’s going on in the world. Dr. King was about freedom and desire for us to all get along.” Jackson

“We are all one race, though we have different ethnicities,” said Jackson, a sentiment that was echoed throughout the day.

“The program is one day, but I hope it is a catalyst to make people stop and think about Martin Luther King’s dream, and ask the question ‘Are we close to the dream?’” said Simon Brown, a board member of the MLK Foundation, who said he was hoping that Dr. King’s message would resonate with the sometimes turbulent times the country and the world experiences. “When you look around at what’s happening in America and around the world, all of the things going on with the wildfires, the hurricanes, the bad weather in the lower 48…this is a time for us to come together as one. This is not a time for separation. This day being a day with all of this going on, we should come together, have a conversation. Once we have that conversation and I find out what you want, what you need, and you learn what I need, what I hope for, you find out we’re not all that different. That’s what the dream is about.”

Brown said that while racism and prejudice still exists, he remains hopeful that there is to stay true to Dr. King’s philosophy of driving out hate with love, with a simple conversation with people that have different points of views and unique backgrounds, and that is one way to make the world just a little bit better.

“That’s what I hope –that at a local level, a state level, and a national level-that we will stop for a few minutes and listen and try to reach across the aisle and make life better.”