ABINGDON, Va. – When a sea of multicolored faces took their seats Saturday in an Abingdon church, the vision prophesied by Martin Luther King Jr. 45 years ago came alive.
“We will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood,” Martin Luther King Jr. told the nation Aug. 28, 1963, as he stood in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. “We will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.”
Shortly after 2 p.m. Saturday, in the Abingdon United Methodist Church, white faces, black faces, brown faces, old faces and new faces filled the pews in a metaphorical table of the brotherhood that was King’s hope – and they spoke to one another about the nation’s most-recent, great step toward that dream: the election of Barack Obama as president.
“I think everyone agrees, this is an exciting way toward realizing the dreams of Martin Luther King,” said Buckey Boone, chairman of the Appalachian Peace Education Center, who sponsored Saturday’s celebration of King’s birthday. “We’re excited that 45 years after his ‘I have a Dream’ speech, our country has elected a black president.”
The celebration began at 1:30 p.m. at the Charles Wesley Methodist Church, where about 50 people coalesced for a march down East Main Street to Abingdon United Methodist, where several hundred others were waiting.
Boone said it was a celebration of King’s birthday, his work and his lasting impact.
The marchers carried signs in support of King’s teachings: on peace, civil rights and the elimination of racial injustice.
“Stop Arming Israel,” read one sign.
“And eye for an eye leaves the world blind,” read another.
“To sin by silence when we should protest makes cowards of strong men,” read the biggest.
Boone said the crowd was representative of Abingdon’s demographics: mostly white, a strong percentage of black and a speckling of various minority groups who’ve all made southwest Virginia their home.
“It’s not about race, it’s about people,” said Ann Mathews, of Abingdon. “People aren’t always aware of that. King had a number of different messages.”
Before the march, folks mingled in the church lobby and talked about the annual event, now in its 22nd year, and how it takes on a new meaning just days before Obama’s Inauguration. They agreed: hope is the resounding sentiment.
“This [Martin Luther King] day means more than before,” said Pat Gaskin, who sits on the peace center’s board. “It’s exciting, it’s wonderful.”
Saturday’s event included a series of speakers who talked about King, his contributions and how his legacy decades later allowed for Obama’s election.
The pews were packed, and a handful of people stood in the back.
As the crowd settled, a grainy tape recording started, then sputtered for a moment before King’s words began to ring throughout the room.
They were the same words from 45 years before.
The speech and its intensity settled heavily, and several in the audience closed their eyes as the recording sang out King’s hopes.
“Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, free at last.”
The tape clicked off, and reality returned.
The Rev. Dwayne Mabry of Chilhowie 1st Baptist Church took to the podium.
“The dream is on its way,” Mabry said. “But a lot more remains to make Dr. King’s dream a reality.”
ahunter@bristolnews.com | (276) 645-2531
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