
“I appreciate the fact that we are celebrating someone like Dr. King. The real strength of a tree is in its roots, not its branches. And sometimes we spend too much time celebrating branches when, we ought to be celebrating roots,” said Pennsylvania State Rep. Dan K. Williams during his speech, Sunday evening at Trinity Lutheran Church.
Williams was the guest speaker at the NAACP Lancaster branch's 45th annual commemoration service celebrating Martin Luther King's life and legacy. The event was postponed this year due to weather. Williams emphasized the importance of understanding the history and legacy of past Black leaders. He noted the Black community should learn from them. As we learn from the past it will empower us to come together to plan for a better future.
“Our ability to come together now as a collective, has to remind our world that we come together with true capital teaching at the core of our center,” he said. “We just come together, we might be able to make a difference in the world. So, let's come together.”
Williams’ speech was a part of an evening that included prayers, performances, awards, and brief remarks from local community leaders: Dr. Angel L. Shuster of Penn State Health, Lancaster, PA, Rev. Edward Bailey, Rabbi Jack Paskoff, and Rev. Troi Butcher.
“In the spirit of MLK Day, I’m telling everybody, please advocate for your health, and we are trying to provide equitable health care," said Shuster. Shuster explained that advocating for yourself can help enact change and health care professionals, like herself, care about creating adequate and equitable healthcare.
Bailey expressed that the Black community needs to stop asking for kindness and turn to self-reliance. He explained that the Black church had a significant role in the civil rights movement, which has diminished over time. Bailey addressed that King is often remembered as a dreamer and he was more than that, he was a "drum major for justice."
Paskoff highlighted King's dream and the work that needs to be done to make it a reality. He drew on parallels between Jewish history and the civil rights movement. Paskoff stressed the importance of actively pursuing united justice.
Butcher addressed the current administration and how the Black community should not stop fighting for justice. She empathized that Black people have been here before and are standing on their ancestors' shoulders. Butcher called on residents of Lancaster to start to change locally to change the future.
The NAACP presented awards to community members: Freda Hall, Josh Hunter, Ethan Alexander Poetic, Jose Rivera, and Alice Saunders.