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Dunkirk celebrates life, message of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Keynote speaker Dr. Cedric Howard, vice president of Student Affairs at SUNY Fredonia, addressed the crowd at Monday’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Luncheon in Dunkirk.

A contentious election. A divided country. Protests, unrest, hate crimes and suspicion. But this is not a description of the past: This is our Right Now.

And that means we currently need Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s words, wisdom and calm tenacity every bit as much as we did half a century ago. As MLK Luncheon Committee member Loretta Slaton Torain put it at the annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Luncheon Monday, “We still have work to do.”

Politicians, community leaders, educators, students, artists and more came together to celebrate the life and work of a great man, uniting for an afternoon of appreciation and inspiration at the Moose Club in Dunkirk.

With the theme “Rise up! Restore the dream!,” organizers reminded guests and speakers alike that everyone must work together to remember King’s words and live them every day, just like the civil rights leader himself did until his assassination in April 1968.

Torain, who served as mistress of ceremony, said she and her fellow committee members do this every year because they truly believe — and truly live — King’s message.

City of Dunkirk officials really turned out for the MLK Luncheon at the Moose Lodge!

“We would like to see his message and his work continue; we want to celebrate that and we bring people together here to honor him and what he (accomplished),” she said.

The Rev. Early G. Waller, pastor of the Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Dunkirk, said that Americans need to be wary of going backward in terms of civil liberties and social justice.

“(Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day) is important right now because this brings us back to where we have once been,” he said. “Looking at our current situation, if it wasn’t for days like today, and people like Dr. King, the struggle that we have gone through and the many gains that we have made (could be lost); we are in danger of going backward. We need to constantly be reminded not to go backward.”

He called Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day an “opportunity.”

“We can’t let these kinds of opportunities go by,” he said. “We have to continue to conduct Dr. King Day to remember the struggle and know that it’s not over. We have to be mindful so that we do not lose what we have gained.”

Waller said that now more than ever, residents of Dunkirk and Chautauqua County should appreciate their local representation, which is made up of diverse individuals doing their best for the community. He specifically called out City of Dunkirk Mayor Willie Rosas, who was also in attendance, for his inspiring leadership.

For his part, Rosas said he has faith in the system of checks and balances on both the local and national levels, but that Dunkirk will remain a beacon of diversity despite what the future may bring.

“Martin Luther King stands for equality for all. The city of Dunkirk is one of the most diverse populations in the whole state, and this event means a lot. … We need to respect our differences and live together as one community,” he said.

Rosas also complimented the Luncheon Committee for their hard work and dedication.

County Executive Vince Horrigan said he was glad to see such wonderful attendance at the event, and noted that people should all work to “pursue justice across our community” in all aspects. One way that’s being done, he said, is through the Chautauqua County Community Justice Council, which “makes sure we have effective, fair justice throughout our system.” Horrigan also said he supports peaceful protests and individuals’ right to free speech, principles of which King was such a strong proponent.

District Attorney Patrick Swanson remarked that events like the luncheon can provide a balm for communities in tumultuous times like these.

“I feel compelled to show my support for the voice of diversity and maintaining relationships between various cultural groups in our county, especially at a time when our country is so divided. This is a great atmosphere and a … great family event,” he said.

The day’s program included prayer, led by Waller; the song “We Shall Overcome;” proclamations from Rosas, Fredonia Mayor Athanasia Landis, Horrigan, and Representative Lori Cornell from Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office; the presentation of Janice D. Slaton, Esq. Scholarships by Bianca Moore and Ivory Brooks (recipients Toccarra Maxwell, ECC, and Chad Butts Jr., JCC); lunch; the incredible spoken word poem “Voice of a Father” by Brandon Williamson; duties performed by the JROTC color guard; and an uplifting presentation by keynote speaker Dr. Cedric Howard, vice president of Student Affairs at SUNY Fredonia.

Howard shared several details about King’s education, activism, family values and goals for social justice, including how King earned his doctoral degree by the age of 25.

“A devout clergyman and activist who encouraged nonviolent civil disobedience, Dr. King grew into the civil rights leader who inspired a movement and a nation to act. His many great accomplishments changed the landscape of society, even today,” Howard said.

He added that King was the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

“Yes, Dr. King knew about the urgency,” Howard stated, “about the importance of taking immediate action. He had his finger on the pulse of history, and throughout his life he knew that now, it was time to act.”

Howard concluded by calling all of the luncheon guests to the type of action to which King himself would rise — to live every day mindful of how much work there is to do to achieve equality for all, and that each and every person can and should take steps to be a part of that effort.

Non-perishable food items were also collected at the luncheon to be donated to the Salvation Army’s food pantry effort. This was coordinated by the Juneteenth Celebration Committee with SUNY Fredonia’s Office of Volunteerism and Community Service.

Salvation Army Lt. Samantha Lockard was on hand to accept the donation, explaining that every donated can of peas or box of potatoes means financial resources can be used elsewhere.

“The food pantry helps pretty much everyone and anyone in northern Chautauqua County who is in need of food,” Lockard said, noting that after the first time a person or family receives assistance, they will then go through a process to obtain further help. “All of the food donated is less food that we have to purchase. Traditionally, we have to purchase food through the Food Bank of Western New York (to give) out, so we greatly appreciate donations like these, because then we can spend the money saved on other services here in the community.”

Many thanks were also given to the Luncheon Committee, the luncheon’s sponsors, donors to the Janice D. Slaton, Esq. Scholarship Fund, the Dunkirk Loyal Order of the Moose and its volunteer servers.

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