More than 400 people, family members, community members and political and religious representatives joined together at a banquet in honor of Martin Luther King Saturday, Jan. 19, as part of the 16th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration weekend.

The theme for the evening was Remembering the Past, Living the Present, Building the Future.

"We understand that the struggle for justice is far from over," said the Rev. George Edwards, president of the Dr. Martin Luther King Celebration Committee, as he greeted banquet attendees. "I encourage you tonight as you celebrate his life and legacy to be mindful that the pursuit of justice must continue. In the spirit of Dr. King's legacy, let us realize that we will have a successful tomorrow only by the efforts we put forth today."

Master of Ceremonies Paul Butler led presentations, including music by the Henry Twins and Stars of Joy from Wilmington, and a rousing performance by the LC Praisesteppers of Delaware State University, both of which had people joining in.

A highlight of the evening was the presentation of a poem created for the event by Cora Miller. The poem was read flawlessly by 11-year-old Mariner Middle School student Tania Frazier, who exhibited a charisma and poise that belied her age. "Friends, you know remembering the past is easy to do, thou things in life were much better then.

"Living the present is confusing, because things are worse today than they have ever been.

"So it's time for us to set a pattern, of the lifestyle that we want to capture; lay a foundation for peace in our lives then we can start building the future," Miller wrote.

The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration organization was founded by Sandra Neal, Waynne Paskins, the Rev. William Wallace and the Sunshine Circle Club in 1988. Edwards commended its officers, members and supporters who worked to ensure the success of the celebration weekend.

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Keynote speaker Ted Blunt presents 40-year report card

Ted Blunt, keynote speaker at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Banquet, said he fell asleep and had a dream about King as he was struggling to find the right message to share regarding the theme of the celebration: Remembering the Past, Living the Present, Building the Future.

"Three days ago I went down to my den and prayed for a message and then I went to sleep," Blunt told a crowd of more than 400 people Saturday, Jan. 19.

Blunt said he dreamed he was making his keynote presentation, and King was sitting beside him on the stage.

He placed a chair holding a photo of King beside himself as a prop and said King wanted a 40-year report card on what has happened in America.

Blunt's presentation about the report card reflected the atmosphere at the banquet of celebration and of concern. It was an atmosphere of commitment and determination.

Families and jobs

Asked about the status of African American families, Blunt said his response included high rates of divorce, student dropouts, AIDS, unemployment and teen pregnancies. Blunt said he told King how grandparents were raising their children's offspring and how eating at home with one's family was a thing of the past.

"I finally told him how drugs had replaced slavery as the new instrument for keeping a people down," Blunt said.

Blunt called for the community to come together as a village. The solutions to the family are to be found in adult and parental involvement in all aspects of children's lives and in providing leadership and supervision supported by churches and neighborhoods fighting for a higher quality of life, he said.

In his dream, when King asked him about jobs and economic development, Blunt said he reported there are more career opportunities for African Americans than in the past. He said he spoke of extremely successful African Americans who lead Fortune 500 companies, own hotel chains, own sports teams, and own and produce the number one television show in the country.

Conversely, he reported a loss of skilled jobs, a dearth of family businesses providing opportunities for unskilled work and the challenges of being a wage earner.
"The reality is if you have no skills and a limited education, your chances of earning a livable wage will almost be impossible," Blunt said.

The answers he suggested included a new tax structure to reward companies willing to train or retrain current and future work forces, a transformation of the current education system to meet the jobs of the future and an investment in job training and re-entry programs for people leaving prison.

Education is key

Blunt said he was also asked to report on the education system. His response was there is a movement to dismantle the public education system and to create separate and unequal systems based on private schools.

"The entire education system needs to be reexamined in order for our citizens to get their fair share," Blunt said.

To resolve the issues, he said, requires focus on linking education to job markets, hiring and paying highly qualified educators and having paid school board members who are held accountable for their decisions.

Blunt said he was a little sad when his dream was over, but he decided to take the report card he had given not as a sign of defeat but as a call to action.

"I believe we can make Dr. Martin Luther King's dream a reality," Blunt said. "In the words of Les Brown, ‘Fall on your back because if you can look up you can get up.'"

Ted Blunt is president of the Wilmington City Council and is a candidate for lieutenant governor.

by Georia Leonhart

Cape Gazette