Editorial

Striving to realize the dream

Posted 1/20/15

“I have a dream …”

Those words, spoken by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. more than five decades ago in the nation’s capital, have become ingrained in our collective consciousness like …

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Editorial

Striving to realize the dream

Posted

“I have a dream …”

Those words, spoken by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. more than five decades ago in the nation’s capital, have become ingrained in our collective consciousness like few others.

The remarks of historical figures can often seem ancient, distant, from a world other than our own. King’s words remain relevant, powerful and very real as a reminder of where we’ve been and where we have yet to go.

As the Ocean State and the rest of the nation on Monday celebrated King’s life and legacy, an annual tradition continued with the Ministers Alliance of Rhode Island MLK Scholarship Breakfast. Civic and religious leaders gathered with members of the community to share a meal, honor students and observe the holiday.

This year’s breakfast comes at a time of heightened tensions in America. Recent incidents in Ferguson, Mo. and Staten Island, N.Y., in which unarmed black men perished as a result of encounters with police, have once again pushed the difficult, painful issues of race and the relationship between law enforcement and communities of color to the forefront of our shared discourse.

The keynote speaker at Monday’s breakfast, the Rev. Dr. James Evans Jr., 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 made the call to “clear the air” of toxic, corrosive elements such as racial discrimination, saying people around the world yearn to “breathe free.”

Evans’ call resonates, even as we join him in acknowledging that progress toward King’s vision of a united, equal society built on compassion and justice continues to move far too slowly.

Beyond the big thinking and broad statements, Monday also served as a bittersweet reminder of how such change and progress actually comes about – and how we, as individuals, can be most effective in doing our part to aid the process.

Speaker after speaker made reference to Sister Ann Keefe, a prominent and beloved activist in the community who passed away over the weekend. For more than three decades, Keefe worked from a parish in South Providence to better the lives of those around her, forming many community organizations and winning the favor of local leaders along the way.

Keefe will be remembered as a positive force, a shining example to others with a record of tangible achievement. Her works and achievements were not on the scale of King’s, but it was his model that she followed. And in that, she truly embodies the spirit of the dream we, together, continue to strive toward realizing.

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