“What is your dream?” asked the Rev. Otis Anthony II, during his address at the 33rd annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Birthday Program held at the Mount Beulah Baptist Church on Sunday.
The interrogative served as an admonition to establish dreams and a challenge to live them out. Beginning his discourse by reciting King’s 1963 “I Have A Dream” speech, Anthony continued, “That was Dr. King’s dream, but what is your dream? No one in life succeeds without a dream,” he said.
Anthony shared with the congregation that it is their dreams that motivate, inspire, direct and give them a reason to get up every morning. He asserted that it is dreams that give them hope in a dark world and point them in their God-given directions. “Don’t let anybody discourage you and steal your dream.”
He cautioned the listeners to be careful of who they share their dreams with because there are “Dream snatchers” lurking about who have given up on their dreams and don’t believe in anyone else’s dreams because they have lost hope on their own dreams. “You had better hold fast to the dreams God has given you,” he warned.
“Some of us have put our dreams on the shelf because we are worried about what other people are going to say. I have never lived my life worried about what other people were going to say,” Anthony insisted. He said whatever ambitions they had laid aside, for whatever reason, it wasn’t too late to pick them back up. To give up on his ideas and goals, Anthony said, would cause him to not want to get out of bed in the mornings.
Anthony offered encouragement by stating that God has given everyone a dream and reminded the audience that as long as they have breath, they have something to live for and shouldn’t let anyone take their dream. He proceeded by presenting examples of persons who had disparaging beginnings but grew to world renown because they didn’t let go.
Anthony acknowledged King as a man who inspired a nation to dream and reemphasized several of the civil rights leader’s hopes from his widely acclaimed speech. “It’s good to talk about King’s dream, but I want you to know, I’ve got some dreams and I want my dreams to come true,” Anthony said.
He said the significance of King’s dream was that it presents an achievable goal for all, one that promotes life and an endeavor for excellence. “I have learned that if you want more you can go get it,” he said, “If you want to go back to school, go do it, if you want a better job, go get you one.”
He said many have forgotten about King’s dream and asserted that America has lost sight of it. He suggested that they focus greatly on the concluding remarks of King’s discourse, which summarizes his dream, but have lost perspective on the speech’s essence, which speaks of an end to poverty, a call for justice and a cashing in of the promissory note that would afford open doors of opportunity for all.
He concluded with a cry to “Wake up,” stop arguing and fighting against one another and start working together to further “the dream.” He said King wanted people to be empowered and live up to their best and brightest.
Sunday’s program was further enhanced by the melodious and uplifting renditions delivered by the Merritt Jr. High and Gentry High school choirs and the Mount Moriah Baptist Church choir.
The program was dedicated to the Mount Beulah M.B. Church, which has graciously allowed the MLK Committee to hold the celebration in the edifice for the past 25 years, cost free. Any money raised from a public offering is used to provide scholarships.
Gentry High student Kayla White was awarded a special youth recognition because of her volunteer service to the community. She is a member of the Indianola Youth Council, the Youth Leadership Council, JROTC, the Jobs for Mississippi Graduates program and a Youth Service America grant recipient, girl scout member and a 9/11 Remembrance and Service Day volunteer who has hosted and has plans to host several summits that address issues such as teen pregnancy, abstinence, STD, HIV and AIDs prevention. Committee Chairman Foster King presented the award.
