Published: January 15, 2009 10:53 pm      

NIAGARA FALLS: Highlighting the Obama/King connection at celebration

Shoulder to shoulder and swaying side to side at Niagara Falls High School, blacks, whites, Christians, Jews and Muslims sang “We Shall Overcome.” Some held hands across the aisles of the Performing Arts Center while others clapped.

The song was an anthem of the U.S. civil rights movement, but rather than lamenting the perfect equality not yet achieved, the upcoming inauguration of Barack Obama, first black president, brought a sense of hope and accomplishment to Thursday’s 22nd annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration.

The Rev. Harvey Kelley of New Hope Church, the celebration’s keynote speaker, could sum up the Obama/King connection in one word: Inspiration.

Kelley told the story of being a boy and having the opportunity to join his uncle in seeing King deliver his final speech in Tennessee before being assassinated — but Kelley had a prior commitment and assumed he would be able to see King another day.

When Kelley’s uncle returned from seeing King, family gathered around and asked question after question about what King was like. Kelley’s uncle was buzzing with inspiration from the seeing the civil rights leader speak.

“That same inspiration I saw in my uncle that night, I saw again the morning after Barack Obama was elected,” Kelley said, stirring the crowd to its feet for a standing ovation.

King’s role in Obama’s presidency was not lost on any of the speakers or honorees, who noted 45 years ago King was fighting for the right to vote and this past November millions of all races voted Obama into office.

“Dr. King would be 80 today and on Jan. 20, at least one of his dreams would come true,” said Mary Gresham, chairwoman of the National Federation for Just Communities of WNY, cosponsor of the celebration with the Niagara Falls City School District.

This year’s Civil Rights Achievement Award recipients include 12th-grader Kayla Briggs, who serves as a peer mentor helping students reach nonviolent resolutions and plans to attend college to become a psychiatrist to help children. Her friend and past award recipient Bashiyra Doss presented the award.

Mary Johnson, an active member of the local National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Niagara Improvement Association also received an award from William Williamson and said King “knew and believed” in what the country could achieve, including Obama’s election.

Maureen Ingham, an active member of HANCI who worked to make universal prekindergarten accessible to all city students, received an award from Assemblywoman Francine DelMonte and said Niagara Falls was rich in those embodying King’s compassion.

Rabbi Ilana Schwartzman urged the community to continue working toward a more perfectly equal world.

“We wish Dr. King could be alive today to see the achievements our country is making. But it’s not enough,” she said. “Even as our politicians reach across the aisle, we need to reach across our streets.”