Dreaming of a ‘beloved community’

Ministers Alliance of RI hosts annual MLK scholarship breakfast in Cranston

Daniel Kittredge
Posted 1/20/15

Honoring the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the memory of a local advocate for social justice, civic and religious leaders gathered with others from the community on Monday for the …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

Dreaming of a ‘beloved community’

Ministers Alliance of RI hosts annual MLK scholarship breakfast in Cranston

Posted

Honoring the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the memory of a local advocate for social justice, civic and religious leaders gathered with others from the community on Monday for the annual Ministers Alliance of Rhode Island MLK Scholarship Breakfast.

Scores enjoyed the morning meal at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet in Cranston, hearing from a litany of speakers before celebrating several college scholarship recipients.

Many of those who took to the podium spoke of Sister Ann Keefe, a well-known social activist who worked for more than 30 years at St. Michael the Archangel Church in South Providence. She passed away over the weekend at age 62.

“I can’t think of anyone who lived so fully the example of Dr. Martin Luther King,” U.S. Sen. Jack Reed said of Keefe.

“Her legacy lives on,” Gov. Gina Raimondo said.

“She touched all of our lives,” Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza said, and demonstrated how “one committed person can indeed change the world.”

Rev. Dr. James Evans Jr., an author and pastor who currently serves as the Robert K. Davis Professor of Systematic Theology at the Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School, provided the morning’s keynote address. His message was focused on developments that have captured the nation’s attention and spurred an intense debate over race relations and law enforcement.

Evans spoke of King’s “vision of a beloved community that included all people” and said recent events show “how far from it we still are.”

He discussed in detail both the shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. by a police officer and the death of Eric Garner in Staten Island, N.Y. after being placed in a chokehold by an officer. He used Garner’s words captured on video of the incident – “I can’t breathe” – as the basis for his core message.

“We can articulate as the prophets of old a love and peace that is valid everywhere,” he said, but must first “clear the air” of corrosive elements such as fear and prejudice.

“People around the world are yearning to breathe free…are demanding that the air be cleared of oppression,” he said.

The civic leaders on hand Monday spoke of King’s legacy and the progress that has been made in the decades since his death, while also acknowledging much more work lies ahead.

While pointing to “so much love and commitment and optimism in this room,” Raimondo said, “we have not achieved Dr. King’s dream in Rhode Island.” She called for a focus on creating middle-class jobs as a means to help ensure “Rhode Island will be a place of equal opportunity.”

Elorza echoed the governor’s themes.

“If Martin Luther King were in this room, Martin Luther King would be so encouraged…we have it within us to be the great city, to be the great state, to be the great community” he envisioned, he said.

The Providence mayor added, however, that King would also be concerned – with racism, homelessness and growing economic inequality.

“We’ve made great gains…but we also have a long, long way to go,” he said.

Elorza also addressed the day’s scholarship recipients.

“You give us great hope. You give us great optimism,” he said.

Cranston Mayor Allan Fung spoke of the chance to celebrate “one of our greatest heroes.”

“Let’s continue to live by the words and actions of Dr. King,” he said.

Fung also applauded the members of the Ministers Alliance “for what they do every single day of their lives.”

Central Falls Mayor James Diossa said King’s legacy made it possible for him to serve in elected office.

“Dr. King, thank you for laying the foundation that allowed me to be the first Latino mayor of Central Falls,” he said.

U.S. Rep. David Cicilline called for a focus on the preservation and expansion of voting rights, which he said are “under attack” for many Americans. He also asked for those on hand to “look for guidance in [King’s] words and deeds.”

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here