By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Local prayer breakfast echoes Kings dream
Group gathers at local church to honor MLK
mccollar2
Little Josalin Joseph sings to the accompaniment of Robin Lanier at St. Matthews Roman Catholic Church at the annual MLK Prayer Breakfast Saturday morning. - photo by CHARLES CRAVEY/special
“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’”These words, spoken by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Aug. 28, 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, became the beckoning call for an end to racism in the United States.Fifty-years later, the dream is yet alive as Americans prepare to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday. Adding to the holiday’s significance this year, it coincides with the second inauguration of the first black American president.As a precursor to Monday’s parade and celebration in Statesboro, St. Matthew’s Roman Catholic Church hosted the annual MLK Prayer Breakfast, co-sponsored by the Bulloch County branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and its Youth and College Division.The breakfast was a gala affair with singing, speeches, readings from the past and various prayers offered for unity, which was the theme this year, “America: One Nation United Under God.”Little Josalin Joseph, a preteen member of the Bulloch County Youth Council, delivered two songs, inspiring the crowd of nearly 250 people. Robin Lanier accompanied her on keyboards and also performed during the breakfast time.Robert L. Persse, the chief public defender for the Ogeechee Judicial Circuit, delivered a timely reading by Robert F. Kennedy, given in Indianapolis on the evening following the assassination of King in Memphis, Tenn.
Sign up for the Herald's free e-newsletter