CASSOPOLIS — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream was not forgotten as members of the community gathered at the Church of Cassopolis Monday.

Inside, the Church of Cassopolis and United Presbyterian Church hosted the Cassopolis 17th annual Dr. King prayer breakfast and essay contest for local youth.

A meal prepared by Melvin “Chef” Miller, kicked off the event, followed by two essayists from Cassopolis Public Schools.

Otto Reick, a junior at Ross Beatty High School, shared his essay about his own dreams, ambitions and aspirations.

“My plans for my future life are to be a civil engineer,” Reick said. “But anyone who truly knows me, knows that history is my favorite subject. If I had it my way, I would teach or do lectures on history. In this world, there is so much history and so many personal stories of individual sacrifice. It’s unbelievable.”

Reick said if his future job kept him in Cassopolis, he would want to lecture at the local historical society or at schools. Reick also expressed interest in wanting to be a politician to fight for others and give a voice to the voiceless.

“Sometimes, I feel the need to be reminded that we are the United States of America and not the divided states,” Reick said. “We need to make sure we live the way that everybody fought for before us so that their memories do not live on in vain. … Just as Dr. King had dreamed of making our country a better place for all to live in, I feel each one of us has a power to fulfill this dream.”

A second essayist, JaVier Long, who took first place in last year’s essay contest, wrote about Malcom X, the American Muslim minister who also fought for civil rights. 

“In comparing Martin Luther King and Malcom X, both were deeply religious and had differing ideas about how equal rights should be obtained,” Long said. “MLK held nonviolent protests, while Malcom X believed in obtaining equal rights by any means necessary.”

Both essayists were awarded $50 scholarships for their entries. Over the years, organizers said the essay contest has seen a decline in student participation.

“I wish we could have more young people here, because they are our future and control the happenings of tomorrow,” said Felomina Patton, a member of the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration committee.

Patton told the crowd how many of the ideas King fought for during the Civil Rights Movement are still being talked about today, including education, jobs, equality and voting rights.

“Those laws that [leaders] make, and the past are relevant to what we do, who we are and what will become of us, especially our children,” Patton said. “It’s very important we tell our children who are over 18 to vote. Encourage your neighbors, friends, associates and coworkers to vote. Go out to solicit and inform our people that we need to vote.”

The remainder of the event invited attendees to host discussions about King’s legacy.

Every year, Cassopolis resident Cynthia Boss makes an effort to attend the prayer breakfast.

“[King] talked about how America was kind of polarized, and you believed in this democracy but had these other injustices going on,” she said. “In order to fix the problem, you have to recognize the problem. I think that was a good way that he recognized it, and we continue to group on that issue and bring closure to that gap.”

Another community member, Sandra Larkin, said she attends the breakfast to ease the guilt she sometimes feels during this time of the year.

“Back in 1967, when all of this was going on, I had no interest in any of these events,” Larkin said. “I was in high school and worried about high school. Thinking about marching for civil rights would have never crossed my mind. I think about what [King] did for our country.”

Sunday night, Larkin asked herself if anybody today is a civil rights leader of the same caliber as King.

“We need a real leader, another Martin Luther King to come from somewhere and lead us down the road,” she said. “In the meantime, while we are waiting for that person, we can each do things to make this world better.”

Every morning when Larkin gets up, part of her plan is to make somebody smile.

Lastly, author, speaker and workshop leader, Brenda Walker Beadenkopf, who attended King’s 1963, “I Have a Dream speech,” spoke of her father’s efforts in nonviolent direct action. During King’s speech, her father stood on the same dais. 

In her book, “A Quaker Behind the Dream: Charlie Walker and the Civil Rights Movement,” Walker Beadenkopf discussed how nonviolent direct action became a consistent system that worked for everybody.

“It worked for Dr. King and for everybody who worked with him,” Walker Beadenkopf said.  “They were all southern pastors. They were preachers of the gospel. … You read Dr. King’s writings, you know what he stood for.”

Walker Beadenkopf wants to continue to teach young students the teachings of King and her father.

As the group prepared to begin its annual Freedom March from the post office to the historical steps of the Cass County courthouse, breakfast attendees were reminded of the impact small steps can make.

“While it might seem like little steps, they can grow into a movement that can change the world as we know it,” Reick wrote in his essay.