Annual ceremony, started by Claybornes, is now 30 years old
“Now I realize that there are those all over who are telling us that we must slow up … But we cannot afford to slow up. We have a moral obligation to press on. We have our self-respect to maintain. But even more we can’t afford to slow up because of our love for America and our love for the democratic way of life… We must keep moving. We must keep going.”
That’s a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who would have been 94 this past week, during an address to the 47th annual NAACP Convention in San Francisco on June 27, 1956.
It rang true in the Town of Highlands on Monday morning.
Monday morning was cold, but that didn’t stop about 100 community residents from first marching down Main St., and then gathering at Memorial Park for one of the many ceremonies Highland Falls is famous for.
This time it was the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. march and ceremony. It was coordinated by Town Councilman Tyrone King, with the assistance of town and village residents.
Those in the march or arriving at the park probably first heard Highland Falls’ Barbara Joyce Clayborne singing; she led the march in a HFPD car, and used the car’s speaker system to sing en route to the park. Those arriving at the park also heard a recording of MLK’s famous “I have a dream” speech playing.
The guest speaker at the event was Highland Falls’ native Patrice Kemp, the pastor of St. Francis AME Zion Church in Port Chester.
“We thank God for this day that we’ve never seen before, and when it is done, it’s a day we’ll never see again,” Kemp opened his remarks with. He drew immediate applause.
“I am privileged and honored to be here today,” he continued. “There are so many aspects of Dr. King’s life that deserve recognition and celebration. I’d like to speak to the courage of the man; how he stood and displayed courage under fire. He was the leader of the Civil Rights movement; a non-violent social and political movement, a campaign that ran from 1954 to 1968 here in the United States. It was established to abolish legalized, institutional, racial segregation, discrimination and disenfranchisement throughout the United States.”
He continued: “This great man was an icon and celebrity to many, and he is honored every January. He was brave. He was courageous. He was peaceful.”
Dr King knew, Kemp said, that his actions and words could result in his death.
“But that didn’t cause him to back down … he looked fear right in the eyes,” the pastor said, noting King’s 20+ arrests and “attacks on his person and his property”.
Bravery and courage can’t happen without fear, he went on to say, quoting Nelson Mandela in this: “The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers his fear.”
“Once you know your weaknesses, you become stronger,” Kemp said. He said that King earned his “rightful place among American heroes” in his short life.
Elected officials at the ceremony included Supervisor Bob Livsey (who helped King give out several certificates of appreciation; to DeeDee Moreno, Scout Colin Monaghan; Mrs. Clayborne (thanking her and her late husband, Rev. Jesse Clayborne for starting this annual tradition in Highland Falls “even before MLK Day was a national holiday”); and West Point Garrison Commander Col. Anthony Bianchi); Town Councilmen Rich Sullivan and Joe DeWitt; Highland Falls Mayor Joe D’Onofrio and Trustees Jim DiSalvo and Brian Aylward; Board of Education member Ned Kopald; County Legislator Laurie Tautel; and NY Assemblyman Chris Eachus.
Councilman King recognized John Flynn at both the start and end of the event; he provided the sound system. The service was opened with a prayer by St. Mark’s Church Pastor Christopher Scott, and members of the church’s choir sang a hymn during the ceremony, led by Alma Jackson.
Because it was so cold out, none of them chose to speak at the event, even though they were offered a few minutes.
One person who did have something to say before the ceremony ended was Mrs. Clayborne. She thanked all for attending, and Councilman King for carrying on the tradition of the march. She also asked all in attendance to take a moment to remember one of her very close friends, Roxanne Donnery, who passed away earlier this month. “She did so much for this community,” Mrs. Clayborne said.
