Sunday, January 21, 2001
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Sunday, January 21, 2001 |
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King Day was 'a day on' By PAT NEWMAN It was a "day on" instead of a "day off" for more than 500 Fayette countians Monday who participated in the Martin Luther King Jr. birthday celebration at Starr's Mill High School. Sponsored by the Fayette County Branch of the NAACP, Peachtree City and the Fayette County schools, the second annual observance was a collaborative effort focused around a three-word theme: "Remember, Celebrate, Act." The Rev. Edward J. Johnson, president of the local NAACP, called on those assembled in honor of King to remember the past, to celebrate life and act to "raise the level of consciousness," and "get past complacency and move toward activism." Terrell Slayton, assistant secretary of State, spoke with candor, humor and conviction about King, Georgia's place in the history of the civil rights movement and the recent election debacle. "Ninety five thousand [voters] went to polls for president, but it did not count," Slayton said. An investigation revealed that malfunctioning voting machines caused two out of 100 votes cast by whites to go uncounted, he said, while 10 out of 100 votes cast by African Americans did not count. Slayton promised to submit a "package of bills to this year's General Assembly to bring common electronic voting equipment into the state." He urged those in attendance to ask themselves the rhetorical question, "What am I doing for my fellow man?" "Choose community over chaos," he added. Slayton selected a portion of an editorial written by Martin Luther King III, King's eldest son and president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, to conclude his words. "Now we must inspire a new generation to carry the torch of leadership into the future to build a nation worthy of our greatest dreams." "Today in Peachtree City, you've begun that process," Slayton said. "My heart is warm. I know we're in good hands with the quality of leadership shown here today. Make today a day on, not a day off." Other speakers included Jamila Rivers, a student at Sandy Creek High School, president of the NAACP Youth Council and daughter of Carolyn and Nelson Rivers, who referred to King's role as "drum major" to get involved, and "be up front wherever you need to be." Fayette County School Superintendent Dr. John DeCotis told what Martin Luther King mean to him as an educational leader. "I learned to live up to the ideals of our nation's creed... that diversity is our strength... that each one of us is important to our church, our community and our family... that education is a tool to a better life." The two-hour observance was punctuated with music performed by the Prophetic Voices of Praise from St. John AME Church in Fairburn. Master of ceremonies was Kellen Winslow, a member of the NFL Hall of Fame, lawyer and motivational speaker.
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