The youth program included a number of speeches as well as singing and dancing by community youth groups.
Dae’jon Gordon, fourth-grader at Rosa Parks Elementary School, spoke about King’s dedication to achieving equal rights for all people through marches and other peaceful protests as he strove to achieve his dream. He also said he was sorry that King never lived to see his dream come true.
Gordon said that he too has a dream, to become a professional artist, and said he believes that dreams do come true.
Kammeron Frost, a seventh-grader, said she has a dream of not being judged by the color of her skin and about the need for people to be respectful of others.
Monroe High School student Mitchell Foster gave a strong speech about the state of race relations and said King would be “highly disgusted and appalled” about the racism and prejudice that still remains and about what has been happening over the past few months and years across the nation.
He said he has “witnessed prejudice and discrimination toward other African Americans and even his own family.”
Foster, who is the son of the Rev. Mitchell Foster, also spoke about King’s dedication to equality for all, and that he did everything in his power to fight for what he believed in.
“Contrary to what he thought, America is slowly drifting back to its traditional racist attitude toward African Americans,” he said. “Despite his best efforts during the Civil Rights Era, Dr. King would not be pleased with the type of social justice we have today. Despite Dr. King’s best efforts, if he were here today, he would not be impressed at what America has become.”
The Unity Conference’s theme this year is “We are the Village.” Earlier in the day, community dialogues were held and several discussions focused on issues such as getting a quality education, college prep and success in learning; fatherhood and male responsibility as well as the need for soul models/mentors, getting involved, organizing and mobilizing; and community engagement with an eye to restoring hope in the village by getting involved in the community.
After the discussions, there was a facilitated brainstorming session identifying needs and possible action steps or participants to become more involved and engaged in the community.
“It would be a shame to complain and not be willing to do something,” said Kendall Wright, one of the facilitators and a local minister.
Katrina Wilson, CEO of Freedom CDC, Inc., and a local minister, said the goal of the event was to highlight the great things happening in the Middletown community and to drive more support for those efforts in order to fill in the gaps.
“It takes all of us to pull together and help our children and to help others in the community,” Wilson said.
A follow-up meeting from Saturday’s Unity Conference is scheduled for 6 p.m. Feb. 22 at the MidPointe Libary in Middletown.
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