King program attracts crowd at courthouse

A crowd of people stands on the courthouse lawn to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday morning. After some words from the Rev. Charles McCright and an invocation from Rector Gary Meade the crowd sang 'Lift Every Voice and Sing'.

A crowd of people gathered together at the Dyer County Courthouse on Monday to remember the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Two groups of marchers, singing "We Shall Overcome", converged in front of the courthouse and joined others waiting for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. program.

These marchers marched from the Bruce Recreation Center singing 'We Shall Overcome' and met marchers from the Future City Recreation Center in front of the courthouse. Then they marched together to the steps of the Dyer County Courthouse to listen to the morning's speakers.

After a few words from the Rev. Charles McCright, Rector Gary Meade of St. Mary's Episcopal Church gave the invocation.

"We gather here today O Lord, to remember and give thanks for the witness, the work and the words of your servant Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.," said Meade. "Help us to follow his example of proclaiming that we are one in Christ."

The crowd then sang "Lift Every Voice and Sing".

Nine-year-old William Cummins (right) is introduced to the crowd by the Rev. Charles McCright. Cummins recited a poem he wrote entitled 'I Have a Dream Too'. [Click to enlarge]

Dyer County Mayor Richard Hill and Dyersburg Mayor John Holden signed a proclamation for the event. The proclamation mentioned that Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream that all people would be judged by the content of their character and not the color of their skin.

Pastor Michael Matthews was the program's speaker and he said there was a crack in the foundation that Christ has laid.

"Why aren't we as a people building upon, that which he has laid?" asked Matthews.

He said Dr. King felt there is power in marching and referenced the tumbling of walls of Jericho. However, "Some of us, we still refuse to march, we still refuse to build upon that which has already been laid. ... Because of our slothiness there is seeming to be a crack in the foundation."

Matthews said when children are still not being educated and young men are walking with pants hanging down low and when children in Christ can't speak to one another there is a crack in the foundation.

"We should be building on a higher mansion, but we're still working on the same shack in the valley," said Matthews.

Matthews said they are still marching for the same dream that King marched for.

Pastor Mitchell Matthews was the Dr. Martin Luther King Day speaker for the morning's program at the courthouse. Matthews said Dr. King was trying to build upon the foundation that Christ built. He asked the crowd what they were doing to build upon that same foundation. [Click to enlarge]

He said God was looking for one person to stand in the gap and build on the foundation that he laid and that person was Dr. King. He also said they needed to march more than once a year.

He finished his speech by saying, "But though we have to march, though we have to climb, we should hold up the blood-stained banner. We should hold it up until the day we die".

Luther Mercer II of Jackson is seeking the Democratic nomination for Congressman John Tanner's seat. He was also one of the morning's speakers.

"The civil rights movement was about human rights," said Mercer. "It wasn't about just African Americans. It was about us all."

Mercer said MLK Day meant to him a continuation of pointing out the purpose of what King was fighting for.

"It means progress," said Mercer "It means for us to look at ourselves and to say we can be better ... as a nation."

James Tiger of Henning recited portions of Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech to the crowd with a tone much like King's.

Luther Mercer of Jackson is running for Congress-man John Tanner's seat and addressed the crowd during Monday's program. "The civil rights movement was about human rights," said Mercer. "It wasn't about just African Americans. It was about us all." [Click to enlarge]

After Tiger's address, 9-year-old William Cummins recited a poem he wrote entitled "I Have a Dream Too".

"I Have a Dream Too"

"I have a dream too, that hasn't come true.

"That people stop hating, now listening to the words that I'm stating.

"I have a dream again that everybody gets along, don't moan or groan, children go out and play, have fun everyday.

"I have one more dream to share. Students stay in school and show that you care about the future and making our world fair."

Dyer County NAACP President James Jaycox thanked everyone for attending the program and McCright took up donations for the Red Cross Haiti relief fund.

Bobby Byars of Dyersburg attended the program and said Martin Luther King Day means the world to him.

Annie Middlebrook of Dyersburg said although Dr. King has gone on, he left a legacy behind.

"I'm really thankful for that and I'm glad we have the opportunities that we have today," said Middlebrook. "A lot of things have come to pass that he wanted to see done. We've come a long way, but we still got a ways to go and I'm thankful."

Thomas White said Dr. King was a man that represented everybody. And both black and white people can see the results of what he was trying to accomplish.

"He was a man before his time," said White. "We can still reap from that, but I think he was a man before his time."

McCright was asked what MLK Day means to him.

"Free at last ... free at last," said McCright.