Hundreds of people gathered in downtown Rochester for an annual tradition Monday on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. day.
It was a refreshing change for a lot of people who like to attend the event every year.
The annual celebration of the life of the civil rights leader was held virtually the last two years, because of the pandemic. But this year the nearly 40-year-old tradition was held in person at the Eastman Theatre.
The keynote speaker was Suzan Johnson Cook, the former U-S Ambassador At-Large for International Religious Freedom. She is also goddaughter of the late Coretta Scott King.
Cook talked about the importance of doing volunteer work and helping people.
“Many of us came from service oriented backgrounds, our parents were servant leaders, and Dr. King was a servant leader,” said Cook. “So we just learned at a young age that if everyone sacrifices, if everyone puts their hands together in this pot, that big things can happen. So service has always been a part of my life.”
In terms of service and citizen action, Cook said people should play to their strengths.
“I know Black women faith leaders and Black women diplomats and Black women business owners are who I'm best suited to serve.,” noted Cook. “And I think everyone has to know what their gifts are, what their skill set is. And that's what we were talking about today with Moses, what was in his hands? Well, everybody has something in their hands that they can do very, very well. And that's what we focus on.”
Simeon Banister has just finished up a long stint as Chair of the Greater Rochester Martin Luther King Jr. Commission, and he now heads up the Rochester Area Community Foundation.
He believes that King would be encouraged by a renewed emphasis on racial and social justice in recent years, but he said that the civil rights leader would likely also still be advocating for change.
“I think that he would call on us to redouble our efforts,” said Banister. “And in that spirit, that is exactly what we're doing this morning. Democracy is not a spectator sport, and making sure that our communities are fair and just and equitable, it’s not a spectator sport. It requires us to make that happen.”
Malcolm Stokes played trumpet during Monday’s performances, and he said the lessons of Dr. King are relevant for a variety of generations.
“I think leading with love and leading with peace is something that will never get old,” said Stokes, “it will never die. I think his dream and his message lives on certainly today. And the more that we learn about his stance and what he really stood for, I think it's always going to be relevant.”
