Battle for MLK Day remembered in Weirton

HISTORY REMEMBERED — Members of the Wayward Saints theatrical troupe, including, from left, Jalen McCrary, Linda Spencer, Bethany Fernbaugh and Pete Fernbaugh, were on hand at Weirton’s Dunbar Recreation Center Monday to present “The Battle for MLK Day,” a radio-show-style production written to showcase the history and challenges in establishing Martin Luther King Jr. Day. -- Craig Howell
WEIRTON — On a day established to honor the life and memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., those gathered at the Dunbar Recreation Center in Weirton were reminded not only of the importance of his life, but the importance of the fight for freedom and equality.
“The Battle for MLK Day,” presented in the style of a radio play, was performed by members of the Wayward Saints theatrical troupe, showcasing the challenges in the establishment of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday.
“This is our fourth year doing this,” explained Pete Fernbaugh, playwright for the production. “It’s an honor to be part of this.”
The presentation was co-sponsored by the Dunbar Recreation Center and the Ohio Valley Cloak and Dagger Co.
The show, written as a three-act play, starred Jalen McCrary as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and U.S. Rep. John Conyers, who spent years championing the establishment of the day, beginning just days after the civil rights leaders’ assassination in April 1968; Linda Spencer as Coretta Scott King; Rob DeSantis as Sen. Jesse Helms, one of those who stood in the way of the holiday; Robert J. Gaudio as President Ronald Reagan; with Bethany Fernbaugh and Malachi McClendon serving as the storytellers.
It recalled Conyers’ introduction of a resolution on April 9, 1968, and the battles during the following 15 years as various pieces of legislation were introduced in Congress, each failing to receiving the necessary support, as well as the obstacles created by Helms, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and others within the federal government attempting to portray King as un-American, alleging ties to communism, and decrying the potential economic cost of establishing the new holiday as well as the idea of establishing such an observation for a private citizen.
A bill came close to being passed in 1979, with then-President Jimmy Carter pledging support, but fell short by only five needed votes in the House of Representatives. Public support would continue to grow, though, including through the efforts of musician Stevie Wonder, whose 1980 song “Happy Birthday,” served as an ode to King.
An effort was reinvigorated, and a bill was passed by both chambers of Congress, in 1983, later signed by then-President Ronald Reagan, who had, himself, expressed concerns of such a holiday at various times in his political career.
It would take another 17 years before each state in the country would recognize the holiday, with New Hampshire being the final one in 2000.
“This was a history lesson,” noted Earleen Jones, president of the Dunbar Recreation Center, expressing hope that those gathered were able to take something with them from the program.
A walk, planned yearly for residents to travel along a portion of Weir Avenue in commemoration of the holiday, was canceled because of Monday’s cold temperatures.