Congressman Steny Hoyer (D: MD-5th) and Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown (D) both spoke about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s fight for equal rights and fight against poverty during a memorial prayer breakfast at North Point High School in Waldorf on Monday morning.
The event was hosted by the Charles County chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Nu zeta Omega Chapter of Alpha Sorority, Inc. Over 700 people showed up for the ceremony.
“We’ve been very fortunate over the years to have a large turnout at virtually every one of these events,” Charles County NAACP President Alfred Jackson said. “This is our 17th and, if memory serves me correctly, for the last five or six years, we’ve managed to fill this auditorium. In fact, we had to move out of the old Jaycees Center to have it here because of the size of the group.”
Congressman Hoyer spoke about the importance of looking past skin, before talking about Dr. King’s unfinished business. Hoyer spoke about the growing income disparity between the rich and the poor, a message that was followed up by Lt. Gov. Brown.
“The American dream is at risk,” Hoyer said. “We’re seeing a destruction of the middle class. If (Dr. King) was alive today, he would be marching and occupying.”
“(Dr. King) did more than anyone else in his generation to make Lincoln’s emancipation proclamation a reality,” Brown said.
Brown then apologized to the audience that he could not “go on for days” about the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Dr. King’s legacy of fighting poverty is ironic alongside today’s fight against poverty,” Brown said, following on Hoyer’s remarks earlier. He then spoke about poverty, health issues and elevated incarceration rates in the African American community, proclaiming that true equality had not yet been achieved.
Maryland State Senator Thomas “Mac” Middleton (D: 28th) presented a Governor’s Citation during the event honoring the Charles County NAACP Chapter for 70 years of service.
“We are indebted to the governor for his proclamation as he continues to impress us by his backing of understanding the significance of these events,” Jackson said. “It’s appreciated.”
All of the Charles County Commissioners, members of the Charles County School Board, members of the Charles County delegation, and other dignitaries were on hand.
The breakfast was prepared by the North Point High School culinary class and served by North Point students. Christian Stewart, a ninth grade student at North Point, performed most of the musical selections while Tyme Britt-Collins, son of Charles County Commissioner Vice President Reuben Collins (D) and fifth grader at Berry Elementary School, performed the National Anthem and departing selection. The benediction and invocation was delivered by Pastor Cynthia Baker of Shabach Evangelistic Ministries and former General Smallwood Middle School principal.
