The third Monday of January is annually recognized as Martin Luther King Jr. Day nationwide. To honor the legacy and impact of the civil rights icon, the Hopkinsville Christian County Human Rights Commission hosted a program spotlighting the continuation of King’s mission.
As a result of frigid temperatures, Monday’s MLK Day March was canceled but the community still attended the program set to follow at Hopkinsville Community College. The program’s theme was, “Mission Possible: Protecting Freedom, Justice and Democracy in the Spirit of Nonviolence 365.”
Before the program, attendees stood and sang along to Renee Fort’s performance of the Black National Anthem. The Black National Anthem, also known as “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” was originally written as a poem by former NAACP leader James Weldon Johnson, spotlighting the ongoing fight for Black liberty and hope for a better future.
Commission Executive Director, Raychel Farmer welcomed attendees and spoke a little bit about King’s life work. Beyond remembering his legacy, Farmer says the holiday marks a call to action because King’s dream of equality and justice for all has yet to be fully achieved.
She says people of color still experience barriers and obstacles when it comes to housing opportunities, education, employment and the justice system.
King is best known for his “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. in 1963. Christian County High School student, Stefan Lovan Jr. read an excerpt from the speech where King shared his hopes for children to have a future without racism and discrimination.
Nicole Poindexter, the Full-Service Community Schools Director for the Christian County Public School System was the program’s keynote speaker. Before she took to the podium, her daughter Jada Poindexter read her poem, “A Legacy of Change.”
Nicole Poindexter called King’s fight for freedom the beginning and it is the responsibility of people now to continue carrying that torch. She says King’s vision is a reminder that freedom is fragile and requires continued protection.
To conclude the program, Hopkinsville State Farm Agent and Christian County School Board Chair, Tom Bell announced Christian County Middle School as the winner of the MLK Day School Challenge. Out of all of the schools in the area, the middle school had the most students at the program and won a traveling trophy, bragging rights and a $250 donation to the school’s family resource center.
