‘Honoring, Remembering, Educating’

Local association plans various activities for public participation to remember the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

STEUBENVILLE -- "Honoring, Remembering, Educating" is the theme of this year's local observance honoring the legacy of civil rights movement leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

And the calendar of events celebrating that is something for all area residents to reflect on and embrace, not just a specific minority, according to James Baber, president of the Martin Luther King Jr. Association of Steubenville.

"All the events are open to the public," Baber said of the activities that kicked off Saturday night with the MLK community musical led by Darren Holt at Second Baptist Church. They continue Jan. 18 from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. with the MLK Youth and Children's program at the Sycamore Youth Center, 301 N. Fourth St., coordinated by Bobbyjon Bauman and Cynthia Lytle, and culminate on Jan. 20, the holiday observance, with a variety of activities. They begin with an MLK reflective hour and dedication to King's life, starting at 9 a.m. at the MLK Center, 905 Market St., followed by the memorial march from there at 10 a.m. to Steubenville High School where there will an MLK essay awards presentation at 11 a.m., then a complimentary luncheon.

The purpose of the association is twofold, Baber explained.

"It's really to raise funds for scholarships to assist students to go to college. That's one," Baber said. The goal for 2019 was to raise 10 $1,000 scholarships. This year's vision is $12,000.

The prayer breakfast is held to raise funds for scholarships for college students aspiring to achieve future goals, using education as their vehicle. The organization is nonprofit, and donations to it are tax-deductible. Checks can be made payable to the MLK Association of Steubenville and sent in care of Carol Ann Simmons, association secretary and publicity and co-coordinator of the MLK reflective hour on Jan. 20, at 138 Two Ridges Road, Wintersville OH 43953.

'Two is to make sure we keep the mission and goals of Dr. King alive, and that's our theme this year 'Honoring, Remembering and Educating,'" Baber said of the association's second objective.

The MLK observance technically kicked off in November with the association's annual prayer breakfast, held to raise funds for scholarships for college students aspiring to achieve future goals, using education as their vehicle.

"It was very successful and hosted by EGCC (Eastern Gateway Community College)," Baber said. "We had an outstanding speaker in Rev. Ron Jones. He did an excellent job," he said of Jones, who serves as associate pastor of Christian Temple Baptist Church in Toledo.

"It was beautiful -- excellent participation, with a very diverse group of people attending," Baber said of the prayer breakfast.

Asked what his dream is for the local MLK observance, Baber replied, "One, is not to forget what this is all about, because the civil rights movement wasn't about African Americans so much as it was about all people all over the country. The large population that benefited was not African Americans -- it was whites, especially white females.

"It was a very diverse group of people who supported the movement of all different denominations, religions, affiliations, you name it, they were there," Baber said. "And if you look back at some of the history and the pictures, you see the Greeks, bishops, Methodist ministers and protestants of all different races, creed and color participating and a lot of people lost their lives, one, for people to have the opportunity to vote -- to vote. Just get up and go vote," he said.

"There are a lot of people who don't vote, and you look back at history and having grown up in the deep south, I know how oppressed we were, OK, and how things were just really bad, really bad, and there weren't a whole lot of options to move up, and the civil rights movement, thank you, President Johnson, for signing that bill that allowed things to change," he said, referring to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 signed by Johnson on July 2, 1964, at the White House. The landmark civil rights and labor law in the United States outlaws discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin.

"So that's the whole mission -- to remember and to honor Dr. King's legacy, and people need education," Baber continued. "You don't necessarily need to have a four-year degree, but you need a skill so we want to get rid of poverty and homelessness and underemployment and all that," he said.

"We want to support young people to get into education and get a skill," said Baber, expressing appreciation to EGCC, the Franciscan University of Steubenville and Huntington Bank, the major sponsors of the overall MLK observance.

Some highlights of the celebration follow.

MLK CHILDREN AND YOUTH

CELEBRATION DAY

This will be held Jan. 18 to the theme of "I Have a Dream" from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Sycamore Youth Center, 301 N. Fourth St., and is being coordinated by Bobbyjon Bauman and Cynthia Lytle.

It begins with a welcome by Lytle at 9:30 a.m. followed by performances by the A.K.C. Dance Team, CBE 180, Minister of Truth, Elisha Fletcher, the Ambassador Mime Team and the Steubenville Community Youth Choir.

A presentation by Steve Forte of Fishers Council begins at 10:40 a.m., followed by a walk from the center to Urban Mission Ministries. From 11 a.m. to noon, the youth will be involved in a Feed the Homeless brunch and have an MLK cake as an end to the event.

The children and youth celebration day is a free event for families. For information, contact Bauman at (608) 556-3068.

CAREER ADVANCEMENT

From 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Jan. 18 and also at the Sycamore Youth Center, there will be a career advancement seminar for males ages 18 to 35.

The event is chaired by Steve Forte and coordinated by the Rev. Marvin E. Barner and the Rev. Benjamin Calvert II.

ECUMENICAL MEMORIAL

SERVICE

Finley United Methodist Church at 958 Lincoln Ave., will host the MLK annual ecumenical memorial service that begins at 6 p.m. on Jan. 19. The Rev. Rick Dawson is the pastor of the host church.

The featured speaker will be the Rev. Michael Harrison of Union Baptist Church in Youngstown, with special music by the Brooke High School Acapella Concert Choir.

Born on Christmas Day in 1956, Harrison graduated from Central High School in 1975 and attended U.S.I.T. where he received a degree in electronics. He also attended International Bible Institute and Seminary, graduating with a bachelor of arts degree in theology. He and his wife, Sylvia, have three children along with grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Harrison worked in computer operations and the Help and Information Centers of Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. in Akron from 1977 to 1985. Then he pursued full-time ministry at the United Baptist Church in Akron. There he coordinated the church's Christian education program. His other responsibilities included children's church, teens ministry, singles and marriage classes, the Help Ministry, evangelism, revival promotions and the transportation ministry.

In 1989, Harrison was called to the pastorate of Mount Olive Baptist Church in Midland, Pa., where he founded the Pastor's Council of Beaver Valley and vicinity and served as president. Under his pastorate, the church was remodeled, and the ministries of the church were broadened in the community. He also served as treasurer of the Allegheny Union Baptist Association.

In 1995, he became pastor of the Union Baptist Church in Youngstown. Under his leadership, a new sanctuary with a seating capacity of more than 800 was built and occupied in 1997. The congregation grew from 125 to more than 650 in his first four years. Under his leadership, Union Baptist Church launched many new ministries to meet the needs of the congregation and community. The sanctuary mortgage was paid off on May 21, 2006, eight years in advance.

Harrison maintains seats on several boards such as Building One American which involves organizing for inclusion, sustainability and economic growth; past national chairperson of the Oasis Network African American Leadership Commission; former National Clergy Caucus representative of AALC to the National Leadership Assembly of the Gamaliel Foundation; past president of ACTION; past president of the Baptist Pastor's Council of Youngstown and Vicinity; and past chair of Mahoning Valley Organizing Collaborative, a community-based collaboration of churches and block clubs for the betterment of the Youngstown/Warren Regional Area.

He is the moderator of the Eastern Baptist District Association; president of the Ohio Baptist State Convention; board chair of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative, which is a state-based collaboration of churches, unions and civic community organizations for the betterment of the state. In April 2008, Harrison became a member of the Mahoning County Juvenile Court Citizens Advisory Board and in 2009, was appointed to the board of directors of the Wean Foundation. He also is a board member of Compass Family Services.

In 2004-05, Harrison was selected as an honored member of the Heritage Registry of Who's Who. In 2004, he also was chosen as "One of the World's Most Loved Pastors" by the Gospel Today Magazine. He was selected as an honored member of the Heritage Registry of Who's Who.

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY

The Jan. 20 federal holiday locally kicks off with a 9 a.m. MLK reflective hour and complimentary continental breakfast at the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center at 905 Market St. The event coordinated by Duane Jennings and Carol Ann Simmons will feature the Rev. Marshall Davis III as guest speaker.

Born July 6, 1955, in Macon, Ga., Marshall is the only son of Marshall W. Davis Jr. and Martha Lee Davis. He accepted Christ when he was 6 years old following the untimely death of his father. As a member of the Christ Missionary Baptist Church, he answered the call to preach and delivered his initial sermon on Sept. 14, 1980, and was ordained Aug. 21, 1983.

A graduate of Peabody High School, the American Baptist Theological Seminary, Trinity Bible College and Seminary, Christian Research and Development and the International Institute of Christian Counseling, Marshall focused his attention on biblical studies, church administration, outreach ministry and biblical counseling.

He and his wife, the Rev. L. Twila Davis, have seven children.

During his more than 30 years in the gospel ministry, Davis has pastored five churches and sat on or chaired numerous boards and committees, including Common Ground Youth Ministry, Rosedale Block Cluster Inc., the Allegheny County Jail Chaplaincy Committee and AUBA Ohio Valley Vice Moderator. He currently serves as the pastor of the Macedonia Baptist Church in Wheeling.

The march from the center to Steubenville High School will get under way at 10 a.m. and welcomes community participation as do all the MLK events, which are open to the public, organizers emphasized.

The march accommodates walkers as well as accessibility for automobiles for those who wish to drive.

A trophy will be presented to the largest group participating.

At the high school, the MLK essay awards program begins at 11 a.m. It is coordinated by Asantewa Anyabwile and Sandra Williams.

Directly following it will be a complimentary luncheon open to the public in the high school commons.

(Kiaski can be contacted at jkiaski@heraldstaronline.com.)