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Wednesday, 17 January 2007 07:21 |
By DAVID FORBES
Challenges
still remain in fulfilling the dreams of civil rights leader Martin
Luther King Jr., especially in setting examples for todayës youth,
several civic leaders said at a celebration of Kingës birthday last
Monday in downtown Asheville.
"You
marched here today because you know, deep down inside, that you could
do more to inspire or provide a sense of aspiration for our youth," Ken
Jones, the master of ceremonies for the event, coordinated by the
Asheville-Buncombe Martin Luther King, Jr. Association, said.
"You marched here today because you had a vision ÇƒÓ and a desire ÇƒÓ that one day Kingës dream will be fulfilled."
Deborah Miles,
founder and director of the Center for Diversity Education, said that
those seeking equality need vigilance and perseverance.
"My challenge to
us today is that we take comfort when evil is all around us that this
is not going to last forever," Miles said. "But we need to realize that
the good can also be taken from us.
"We need to put
our shoulder to the wheel and prove that we can make our nation and our
world a better place. We need to remember that evil does not last and
that goodness can also be taken from us."
The speeches
were part of a larger program that began with a march from St. James
AME Church to Pack Square. Around 350 people participated in the march,
filling College Street while holding pictures of King and singing hymns
and anthems from the civil rights movement.
Meanwhile,
Darryl Hart, vice president of Hart Funeral Services and a member of
the Mission Hospitals Board of Directors, asserted that the leaders of
the civil rights movement set an example that those in the audience
should continue to follow today.
"All gave some,
but some gave all," Hart said. "Martin, Malcolm (X) and many others
sacrificed their lives for future generations. We come here and we
sing, we march, we honor individuals. We sing that old, familiar
anthem, ǃÚLift Every Voice and Sing.ë Weëll greet each other and leave
with a warm, energized feeling and we go back to our everyday routines."
The commitment should not end there, he continued.
"Where is that faith that the dark past has taught us ÇƒÓ and where is that hope that the present has brought us?" Hart asked.
"When will we march on until victory is won? I submit to you today that victory is not won, that the fight is not over.
"If we truly
want to honor Dr. King and his dream, we must act," Hart said. "We must
march through our communities and become active in our childrenës
lives, in our city and county governments. Go back to your communities
and get involved."
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