Bethlehem Baptist Church Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Service
Good evening. Thank you, Rev. Whisler, for your kind words of introduction.
Pastor Evans, it is always a privilege to be in the warmth of fellowship at Bethlehem Baptist Church. Thank you and all the members of Bethlehem for once again honoring the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with this important community event. It is an honor to be here.
It is somewhat daunting to follow Lyndsey Captain to this lectern – what an inspiring speech. Let’s give her a hand, one more time.
I’d like to introduce Devan Allen, who is with me today. She’s a leader in our community and I am fortunate that she is my District Director.
Ms. Victoria Dodd, who as always, has done an amazing job of organizing this event, nine years running – has asked me to speak on the theme of “Freedom and Equality: the Hope for our Future.”
As I really focused on those words, it forced me to ask some questions that I had not really considered before.
Freedom and equality. Both are certainly goals for which Dr. King dedicated his life and his ministry to advocating for. But are freedom and equality two, distinct and separate concepts – or are they two ideals which are inextricably linked?
In other words, can someone be free if they are not an equal in our society? And can someone be equal, if they are not free? Something for us to think about.
