The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
Efforts to erase Black history, to ban books and to stifle discussions of racism must be resisted, in the spirit of the teachings of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a gathering of more than 300 people was told January 20.
The occasion was the 28th annual Franklin Township Community Breakfast, and the person urging resistance was U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, (D-12).
The breakfast is the major fundraiser for the Franklin Township Dr. Martin Luther King Community Foundation, which has awarded 238 scholarships totaling $282,000.
In her speech, Watson Coleman elucidated what she considered the necessity of resisting efforts to whitewash history.
“if students of any race, religion, or walk of life never learn about Crispus Attucks, the first martyr of the American Revolution, or the contributions of Ida B. Wells or Marcus Garvey or W.E.B. Du Bois, they will fail to understand the foundational role black Americans played in shaping this country,” she said. “If they do not hear about the courage of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry, or the organizing power of the NAACP, or the determination of the Freedom Riders, they will lack a framework for understanding the ongoing struggle and its connectivity to other struggles.”
“And if they never learn about the struggles and triumphs of leaders like Malcolm X, Claudia Jones, James Baldwin, Fannie Lou Hamer, Bayard Rustin, and Angela Davis, they will not understand that interconnectedness of our remote movements of moving forward,” she said. “Movements that have shaped every aspect of the freedoms that we enjoy today and will hold fast to.”
“Dr. King’s dream was rooted in education, in the power of knowledge to transform minds, to dismantle hate, and to build bridges,” Watson Coleman said.
King devoted so much of his life to education was to ensure that young people “had the tools to fight for justice,” she said.
“We have a responsibility to our children, to prepare them for the future,” she said. “That is the goal of education, to ensure that when they venture out beyond our watchful eyes, that they are equipped with the knowledge that is necessary to live fruitful, fulfilling, and successful lives.”
“Keeping Dr. King’s dream alive is not just about the next generation, it is about the choices that we must make today,” Watson Coleman said. “It is about standing up for justice even when it is inconvenient. It is about reaching across lines of race, religion, and class to build real, lasting relationships. It is about building dikes of courage to hold back the floods of fear. It is about speaking out against inequality wherever it exists, in our schools, in our workplaces, and in our communities. And it is about recognizing that we are stronger together.”
“Dr. King’s dream reminds us that we are all interconnected, that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice anywhere,” she said.
“Let us ensure that the dream lives on, not just in ceremonies and speeches, but in our daily lives,” she said. “Let us continue to build bridges, to uplift our youth, and to challenge the forces of division until that promised land is reached. Because keeping Dr. King’s dream alive is not just about remembering his words, it is about living his legacy.”
Watson Coleman made nodding references to another event taking place that day, the inauguration of Pres. Donald Trump.
“It is a real juxtaposition that we should be celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.’s holiday on the day that this unprepared, undeserved man has been sworn into government,” she said. “But he is sworn into government, and we recognize and we respect the position of the presidency.”
“Let us not be faint of heart,” she said. “Let us know that there is space for us in this in, of, and by the people government, that we have our voices and that our voices will be heard.”
The morning also featured musical selections by the Franklin Township Community Band, the Community Fellowship Mass Choir, a rendition of the National Anthem by Franklin High School student Elimary Mendoza, an oration by Andrew Mallette of the Somerset Chapter of New Jersey Orators, and a presentation by students of Thomas Edison EnergySmart Charter School.
There was also a dance performed by members of the Inspira Performing Arts & Cultural Center.
Also speaking were Rabbi Eli Garfinkel of Temple Beth El, Imam Rizwan Rizvi of Masjid-e-Ali, and the Rev. Sonya Redd of First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens.
The event was MC’d by Sean Hebbon, president of the Franklin Township Martin Luther King Community Foundation.
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