Discovery Park of America held its Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day program Jan. 19, featuring two people with UT Martin connections.
The keynote speaker was Dr. Mark McCloud, UTM vice chancellor for access and engagement, and the emcee of the program was UTM first lady Rafielle Freeman, who is also a member of the DPA Board of Directors.
McCloud opened his address by quoting the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights – that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
He then quoted the first lines of “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee”: “My country, ‘tis of thee – sweet land of liberty – of thee I sing,” and the last phrase from the Pledge of Allegiance: “One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty an justice for all.”
McCloud closed his introduction by citing Patrick Henry’s famed speech given to the Second Virginia Convention: “Give me liberty or give me death.”
“Words have meaning,” he said. “Words have power, but they also have responsibility and obligation.
“When I think about the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I think of a man who fought, who lived and died for liberty and justice for all.”
McCloud said King’s greatest legacy was not attached to a speech or a monument, but was attached to people who fought willingly for liberty and justice for all.
“In ‘A Letter from a Birmingham Jail,’ Dr. King reminds us that darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can,” McCloud said. “He reminds us that hate cannot drive out hate; only love can. He reminds us that a threat to justice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
“He reminds us that the time for change is now.”
The program included musical selections by the newly-formed Discovery Park Community Choir.
The choir opened the program with “Lift Every Voice and Sing” and later sang an a cappella version of “Wade in the Water.”
Following McCloud’s address, the choir sang a stirring rendition of “We Shall Overcome,” followed by “I Need You to Survive.”
The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday is celebrated on the third Monday of January and has been a federal holiday since 1986.
King was born Jan. 15, 1929, and was a prominent voice in favor of nonviolent activism for civil rights.
PHOTO: Dr. Mark McCloud (left), UTM vice chancellor for access and engagement, was the keynote speaker at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day program at Discovery Park of America in Union City on Jan. 19. UTM first lady and DPA Board of Directors member Rafielle Freeman was the emcee of the program. Also shown is Discovery Park of America CEO Scott Williams.
