Community comes together to celebrate life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
Combined choirs of Ashland Paul G. Blazer High School and Ironton High School, who became I AM...One Choir, for the 26th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration.
IRONTON. 帝王会所 鈥 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, 鈥淧eople fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don鈥檛 know each other; they don鈥檛 know each other because they have not communicated with each other.鈥
帝王会所 Southern鈥檚 26th Annual Celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. was held on Jan. 25 in Bowman Auditorium. The theme, 鈥淚 Am,鈥 centered around communicating personal experiences to overcome prejudices.
Speaker Amy Compton, Vice President of Amy for Africa, a faith-based program that provides aid to in-need communities in Uganda, credits her faith for her many accomplishments. Compton stated, 鈥淲e all struggle. We all have pain.鈥 She stressed the importance of communication in understanding that we all share similarities.
Margret Tyson, the pastor of Quinn Chapel AME Church in Ironton, recounted the discrimination she faced growing up and the positive influence of her family. She invited attendees to 鈥渕ove beyond labels and move into love.鈥
Lawrence County Court of Common Pleas Judge Andrew Ballard shared a heartfelt presentation with his 鈥淚 Am鈥 story. He said this event was humbling. 鈥淭his is the most important speech I鈥檝e made before or since getting into public office. This is near to my heart because I鈥檓 raising my children this way,鈥 Ballard said.
The theme for this year鈥檚 essay contest was also 鈥淚 Am.鈥 Associate Professor Dr. Hayley Haugen presented the winners. Middle school winners, Abbey Taylor, Amelia Webster and Alexis Lawson attend Ironton Middle School. High school winners, Samantha Caskey, Eric Daniels and Ryan Goodson attend South Point High School.
Ironton City Mayor, Katrina Keith, delivered powerful closing remarks. She posed a challenge to the young people in the audience by stating, 鈥淚 challenge young people - what do you believe in, what will you fight for?鈥 Keith urged this generation to 鈥渦nderstand each other.鈥