Tribute to a hero

The words echoed down Main Street for all to hear. "We shall overcome, we shall overcome someday," sang the crowd of about 50 who marched from Campbellsville Middle School to the Campbellsville University campus.

This weekend's annual events were aimed at keeping the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. alive. A pivotal figure in the Civil Rights Movement, King was shot and killed in Memphis, Tenn. on April 4, 1968.

Five years prior, at a march on Washington, King said, in what is perhaps his most famous speech, "I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."

The events honoring King began Saturday night.

About 175 people attended Saturday's Martin Luther King Jr. reception at Campbellsville University's Winters Dining Hall. The event was organized by the Taylor County Civic League.

To kick off the reception, Sam Wickliffe, who presided over the annual event, said the greatest honor the community could give King is to "work to make the dream come true."

King's dream will die, Greensburg City Councilman Jerry Cowherd said, if communities don't band together to keep it going.

Campbellsville Independent Superintendent Diane Woods-Ayers agreed with Cowherd, saying that keeping King's message alive is important for future generations.

"Let us not forget the dream for those who are coming after us," she said.

During the reception, several local youths performed skits and sang songs celebrating King's legacy. The performances were directed by Phyllis Mattingly.

Following dinner, the event was closed by a performance from gospel group "The Wooten Sisters" of Somerset. Comprised of three sisters and their brother, the group has been singing for 50 years.

Hamp Wooten summed up the evening's event when he told the crowd that there's no separation based on race, education or money in heaven.

"It's just one big place called heaven."

On Sunday, the annual Martin Luther King Jr. march began at 4 p.m. with several community members marching with signs bearing pictures of King and some of his now famous quotes.

Following the march, the Ecumenical Ministerial Alliance of Campbellsville hosted the annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration at the Ransdell Chapel on the Campbellsville University campus.

The guest preacher for the annual worship service was the Rev. Jacqueline King who spoke to the crowd about checking the status of King's dream.

"Is it filled? Is it deferred?" she asked the audience. "We've come a long way ... but we still have a long way to go."

King also spoke to the crowd about "red power" or the power of love.

"When we get the love thing right, there will be justice ... and there will be peace on earth.

"Red power kept Dr. Martin Luther King in that fight," she said. "That same red power is gonna keep the dream alive."

King is pastor of Stoner Memorial AME Zion Church in Louisville. The church's choir also performed.

The last event honoring King was yesterday on the Campbellsville University campus.

The Rev. Gerald Joiner was the speaker for the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Worship Service.

Joiner is pastor of Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Louisville and is also a Campbellsville University alumnus and member of the university's Church Relations Council.

The Gospel Explosion Choir, a group of about 40 individuals from Taylor, Adair and Green counties, performed special music at the service.

- Staff Writer Calen McKinney can be reached at 465-8111 Ext. 235 or by e-mail at reporter@cknj.com. Staff Writer James Roberts can be reached at 465-8111 Ext. 226 or by e-mail at writer@cknj.com.