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Washington NAACP branch holds MLK Day celebration

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Journalist Lynne Hayes-Freeland delivered the keynote address of Washington NAACP’s celebration of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

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Avella native Tanisha Long, a student at the University of Pittsburgh and founder of Black Lives Matter Pittsburgh and SWPA, spoke during Sunday evening’s virtual event.

The Washington NAACP celebrated the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Sunday, acknowledging the deep divisions that exist in the nation and calling on the community to work to continue the civil rights icon’s legacy of promoting peace and equality.

“This past year has been a challenging one for our country,” said Dr. Andrew Goudy, president of Washington NAACP, in opening remarks in which he noted the attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election – which culminated in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol – and the efforts of several states to pass voting laws making it harder for people of color to vote.

“Martin Luther King spent better part of his life fighting for the right to vote. “If he were here today, what would he think?” Goudy said.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr., who was born Jan. 15, 1929, and was assassinated in a hotel in Memphis, Tenn., April 4, 1968. If he had lived, King would have been 93 Saturday, a year younger than Oscar-winning actor and activist Sidney Poitier, who died Jan. 6.

For the second year, the MLK tribute event was not held in person because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a celebration nonetheless, marked with music, poetry and powerful messages from leaders from Washington County and Southwestern Pennsylvania.

The theme of the annual celebration was “Why the Content of our Character Still Matters,” and journalist Lynne Hayes-Freeland delivered the keynote address.

“At the end of the day, character does still matter,” said Hayes-Freeland, who encouraged people to hold politicians and themselves accountable for their actions.

“Much of what we’re facing isn’t a political issue, but a character issue,” said Hayes-Freeland.

She, like Goudy, addressed recent voter suppression efforts and the Jan. 6 insurrection, noting, “we have duly elected representatives who don’t even show up in Washington, D.C., on the one-year anniversary of what happened in Washington, D.C., let alone acknowledge what happened,” Hayes-Freeland said.

Hayes-Freeland also acknowledged the gridlock in Washington, D.C.

“We have a party in majority in Washington and they can’t get anything done. There’s also the other party that refuses to go along with absolutely anything the majority party tries to do. We’re heading full-steam into the midterm elections, but much of what we’re facing isn’t a political issue, but a character issue,” she said.

Avella native Tanisha Long, a student at the University of Pittsburgh and founder of Black Lives Matter Pittsburgh and SWPA, called for the NAACP to provide education and training for today’s African-American youth to be leaders – as school board members, council members, congresspeople and other positions where they can help make a difference.

“We have change-makers, and we have the ability to inspire a generation by electing them and putting them in positions of power,” said Long.

Rabbi David Novitsky of Beth Israel Synagogue in Washington delivered the opening prayer.

“Dr. King was a great man who turned to almighty God as a solution for the many injustices and wrongs which existed in our society and remain present in our nation to this very day,” said Novitsky. “We are living in very difficult times, our nation is divided, there is no respect for one another, we are lost, we quarrel with one another over trivial matters. Let us all pray we act in the manner preached by Dr. King to help heal our divided country.”

City of Washington Mayor Scott Putnam and Washington County Commissioner Larry Maggi also made remarks.

“Although much progress has been made, it’s sad to see we’re still fighting prejudice, still fighting racism,” said Maggi, adding “more than the color of our skin, more than our gender, more than our political affiliation.”

John Carroll University senior Cole Griffin, a member of Washington NAACP since he was in grade school, read the Langston Hughes poem “Theme for English B.” Rev. David Wade, pastor at St. Paul AME Church in Washington, performed the Black National Anthem.

Rev. Eugene Beard, pastor of Nazareth Baptist Church in Washington and NAACP Religious Affairs Committee chair, said he is concerned about the future of democracy amid today’s challenges.

“I’m thankful we had a man in our history like Dr. King,” said Beard. “There are people who say to me, ‘I don’t think democracy is in trouble,’ but I personally do. A house divided cannot stand.”

Reverend Debra Mason, pastor of John Wesley United Methodist Church in Washington, served as the Mistress of Ceremonies.

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