Officials decry the lack of civility today during annual MLK breakfast

Given the current climate of hate and the unsettling bickering we learn about nightly on both the local and national news, there was no better place to be on the morning of Jan. 21 than at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet for the 36th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Breakfast.

Sponsored by the Rhode Island Ministers Alliance, the breakfast brought together state elected officials, along with faith, academic, and community leaders, students, and keynote speaker Prof. Francoise Hamlin, to honor the memory, legacy and teachings of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

A frigid, blustery morning did not stop about 275 people from attending the program, where state leaders spoke and scholarship recipients were honored. Those in attendance included Gov. Gina Raimondo, U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, U.S. Rep. David Cicilline, new R.I. Attorney General Peter Neronha, R.I. Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea, state senators and representatives and Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza.

Representing the Jewish community on the dais was Sarah Mack, the rabbi at Temple Beth El, in Providence, and president of the Rhode Island Board of Rabbis. Mack read passages from the Hebrew Bible related to the occasion. 

Three of the 10 scholarship recipients spoke about receiving the honor. One recipient described how, as an African-American and a female, she faced “double jeopardy.” Another said he had to overcome a number of serious issues to even think about going to college.

Raimondo’s talk focused on the lack of civility in our country nowadays. 

“There is a lack of kindness in our country today. Let us make sure the Rhode Island community is a state where a lack of kindness will not be tolerated,” Raimondo said. 

Like many of the speakers to follow, she spoke about King’s ideology on community. 

Cicilline said, “Martin Luther King Jr. wanted everyone in an America that would allow all of us to achieve our dreams.” The congressman said he feared, however, that this is not true today. He called on all of us to work toward achieving King’s goals.

Keynote speaker Francoise Hamlin, a professor of history and African studies at Brown University, spoke about King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech. She encouraged everyone to read the speech in its entirety if they really want to get to know King’s thoughts.

King made the “I Have a Dream” speech on Aug. 28, 1963. During the 40-minute speech, he did not mince words in calling out Americans and the nation’s leaders. He spoke about his dream that one day everyone, regardless of color or religion, will come together as one community.

MARTY COOPER is a community activist.