KENNETT SQUARE – People who joined forces around the world on Monday in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.
The Martin Luther King Community in the Kennett area, a national holiday in America marking the birthday of the civil rights leader, hosted a two-day celebration.
The two-day conference To Seek Justice started on Sunday. The speakers focused on one way forward in this world of iniquity with justice at the forefront. Held over Hopin Practically Forever, MLKCommUNITY’s 20th Anniversary Breakfast featured topics from racing to education.
Christina Edmondson gave the keynote address, “To Seek Justice,” followed by a live question-and-answer session with attendees. She said racism must be fought consistently.
She identified herself as a Christian anti-racist. “We become righteous. That means it doesn’t exist in our status quo. Maybe it’s lost. Maybe it’s exclusive. Maybe justice has been restricted or distorted. Guarded or denied. So it must be sought from one generation to the next.” “
She is an anti-racism educator. She said social lawyers are calling out what may not be obvious to bring about change. She spoke of the wisdom and action that an intergenerational movement needs to break down systematic racism in society.
Edmondson is the Dean of Intercultural Student Development at Calvin University. She quoted the ancient scriptures as saying Micah, who preached against corruption among the mighty.
“Woe to those who invent injustice and work evil on their beds! When the morning is light, they practice it because it is in the power of their hands. And they covet fields and take them by force; and houses and take them away: so they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his inheritance, “said the Book of Micah.
Edmondson said Micah also spoke of hope.
This includes the hope of the vulnerable, the persecuted and the disenfranchised – those denied access to freedom – by violence.
“The powerful messages shared during this event were like no other,” said Shania Jones, a graduate of Lincoln University in Lower Oxford Township, near the Maryland border. Her major areas of study at the historic African American college are criminal justice, anthropology, and privilege. She is from Brooklyn, New York and is a member of the Thurgood Marshall Law Society MP in Lincoln.
“I was personally stimulated by listening to others’ views about injustice and the ways we can make change in our communities and our country,” said Jones. “I believe the most important steps we can take to overcome injustices are to keep us informed, learn our rights, and act peacefully to make our voices heard.
Other speakers included Joan Mulholland, a social justice and civil rights attorney, and her son, filmmaker Loki Mulholland.
“The story of Joan Trumpauer Mulholland impressed me most,” said Jones, a senior at Lincoln University in Brooklyn. “It is impressive that she is the first white woman to integrate an HBCU and join a respected black sorority.”
Jones continued, “I’ve learned that if you are anxious to achieve something, no matter what your odds are against you, nothing can stop you. Perseverance has kept her going despite the difficulties she has faced. “
The major in criminal justice added, “Joan is an inspiration to me and to many people around the world.”
Paul Redman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Longwood Gardens, an event sponsor, also spoke about the importance of philanthropy in supporting education, especially for disenfranchised youth.
Longwood Gardens offered free administration to attendees of the virtual conference on Monday. The mission of the Martin Luther King Jr. COMMUNITY is to fulfill the dream of Rev. Dr. To revive Martin Luther King of peace and harmony among all people. Advocates for the nonprofit are committed to building and fostering relationships based on equality, justice and peace, organizing community awareness forums for cross-racial, intercultural dialogue and interactions, and intervening when necessary to resolve conflicts and ensure that the Voices of the excluded and excluded can be heard.
The proceeds from breakfast support scholarships for seniors who graduate from Kennett, Unionville, and Avon Grove high schools, and for students at Lincoln University. The annual event also benefits summer opportunities for disadvantaged children at Camp Cadet, MLK Advocates forums, equality, justice, peace projects and poverty eradication in the Kennett Square area.
“I am most inspired by the consistent commitment to mission and vision of the MLK CommUNITY’s work here in our region,” said Leah Reynolds, Kennett Area Community Service (KACS) who runs the Kennett Food Cupboard at 136 W. Cedar St . Operates For the past 20 years, supporting education as a means of seeking justice and equality has been a priority. “
Reynolds said, “Young King has critically challenged both blacks and whites’ pursuit of power and success through education. He forced everyone to re-imagine what learning environments could do for a person. Knowledge alone wasn’t enough; Integrity and compassion should be an integral part of holistic learning. We are supposed to be well-read people, critical thinkers who value others and seek their well-being. ‘“
And taking action to make change and live with justice is a lesson to remember every day, not just on Martin Luther King Jr. Day at the start of each new year.
The legacy of making change for justice inspired eight women to walk 116 miles on a pilgrimage along the historic Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway last September.
The hikers, from various states, ended their trip in Kennett Square after crossing the Mason-Dixon Line.
On Monday, the conference featured songs, prayers and a call, in the words of keynote speaker Edmondson, to live people’s lives, balancing beliefs with actions for “common humanity”.
