Hundreds of citizens from Brownwood and the surrounding area came together Monday to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and to remember the inspiration of his life and accomplishments for people of all races, ages, and socioeconomic levels.
The event started with a memorial parade from the Bennie Houston Recreational Center to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Plaza at the corner of W. Austin and W. Commerce where a ceremony was held with words of encouragement for citizens to live the dream of King, to discover unity and equality and to never give up on dreams.
Marisha Stidom, President of Revitalizing Our Community (ROC), the organization that hosted the event, welcomed the crowd and thanked them for gathering on this special day. Jodie Miller, another officer in the ROC organization, presided as master of ceremonies.
Brownwood Mayor Stephen Haynes spoke at the event, challenging the public to come together in Dr. King’s legacy, with unity and with love. He quoted King stating, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction.”
Haynes ended his remarks saying, “Let us stand together in unity in the love or our Lord Jesus Christ, let it be.”
King said in his famous I Have a Dream speech, “I dream of a day when my four young children will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” Several speakers at the event pointed out that he fought for equality for all, not just the black community and for this reason all citizens are beneficiaries of King’s work and legacy.
Gene Galloway brought special music, “Stand,” and encouraged those in attendance to be strong and determined no matter what they are facing. “One thing that we got through in adversity, pains, heartaches, trials and tribulations, when you get knocked down, the thing is if you stay knocked down, you are already defeated. But if you get back up and stand then you are able to stand the storm.”
Pastor Bob Smithson brought the tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr. encouraging the audience to live with a “spirit of excellence.” He explained that growing up, he was told to leave a place in better condition than when he found it. This applied to a campsite or even a friend’s bedroom he might have played in with a friend. Smithson explained that his father taught the family to “work harder so that someone behind you, benefits.” He stated that he and his siblings were taught to have a spirit of excellence as not only his father’s vision or dream for his family, but also because it is scriptural to do so.
“The idea that we must work hard to leave something for those behind us is found throughout scripture but is a mandate from our Heavenly Father. When I think of Martin Luther King, Jr., I can certainly ascertain that he was a man who desired to leave this planet better than he found it. His desire to destroy civil and moral injustice is evident in what he accomplished on his short time during this earth,” said Smithson. “His dream was to see this nation that we live in close the window on this ignorance and open the door to a bright and glorious future, a future where equality was the norm and the color of your skin was not something that you are judged by.” Smithson encouraged the audience to leave an inheritance of excellence where all dreams are possible and to teach the next generations to chase after their dreams.
Local law enforcement and first responders were recognized by Miller, for their work to keep citizens safe and in keeping the peace despite the fact that it requires them to sacrifice and often put their own lives in danger. Local ministers were also recognized for their work to keep the community on the right path, or the “straight and narrow.”
The themes for the past three years of the event were highlighted by Miller. He stated that the first year was “Let Freedom Ring;” the second, “Living the Dream;” and this year “Keep Moving Forward.” He stated that these themes represented MLK’s work and dreams and that “we must continue the dream and keep moving forward together in unity and in love.”
CLICK HERE for a Facebook photo gallery of the memorial parade and ceremony on Monday. Video of the parade is below.
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