1 of 6

Elettra Lanforti (left), Mantaj Singh (middle) and Mt. Calvary Sr. Pastor Reverend Bryant L. Bacon pose for a photo during Monday's MLK breakfast at Mt. Calvary Church. Lanforti and Singh were recognized for participating in the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. contest sponsored by the church. (Maxwell Harden | Leader Publications)

Dozens of community members braved frigid conditions Monday morning to celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during a community fellowship breakfast at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church in Niles. (Maxwell Harden | Leader Publications)

Niles Community Schools Superintendent Dan Applegate. (Maxwell Harden | Leader Publications)

Brandywine Community Schools Superintendent Travis Walker. (Maxwell Harden | Leader Publications)

Buchanan Community Schools Superintendent Patricia Robinson. (Maxwell Harden | Leader Publications)

or Reverend Bryant L. Bacon. (Maxwell Harden | Leader Publications)

NILES — Dozens of community members braved frigid conditions Monday morning to celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during a community fellowship breakfast at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church in Niles.

Hosted by HOPE at Niles and Mt. Calvary, the theme of the event was “Resilience and Perseverance In Changing Times”. 

The annual event featured emcee Linda Bradford, a musical selection from Mount Calvary’s own Alice Fletcher and the presentation of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Essay Contest participants.

“I’m honored to see how many came out in this weather that we have. We gathered here today to celebrate the legacy reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, A man that had a dream that walked this nation up. He had a dream and his dream still matters.”

Guest speakers included local superintendents Dr. Dan Applegate of Niles Community Schools, Patricia Robinson of Buchanan Community Schools and Travis Walker of Brandywine Community Schools.

Applegate:

“If you follow Dr. Martin Luther King’s lessons and you live your life the way he’s directing us to live our lives and we come together like we do here and the students see us trying to do the same things, that’s how we build a stronger community. That’s how – our kids seeing us do the right thing.”

Walker:

“As we cultivate the new generation of dreamers, we need adults that will model that as well. We need students who will be positive influences and role models for their peers. When we look at our communities, we have a diverse population when it comes to race, ethnicity religion and socioeconomic status. Speaking to the students in the room, People are more likely to follow somebody that they can see themselves in. We have a diverse community, we need diverse leaders.”

Robinson:

“We are here to celebrate Dr. King and the work that he paved the way for us. The work continues today. We want to keep his dream alive by working together, to make our world a better place for our kids that are coming up. By doing that, we do that by showing love, by showing kindness, by having an open mindset understanding that people bring different things to the table and we’re able to come together by making those things come together and work together. Not creating division, not creating this political divide, but just understanding that we have one goal and that is to make our world a better place.”

Hope at Niles President Beverly Woodson thanked everyone for coming reminding those in attendance that their voice matters in their communities.

“We all sit back and complain, but you don’t complain to the right people,” she said. “You have a voice, speak your voice. If you don’t like what’s going on, go to the city council meetings. I don’t know why we sit back and don’t think we can speak out what we are feeling. If enough of us come together, I guarantee you, we will be heard.”

More Community News

Santa, live reindeer to visit Niles Nov. 23

Dowagiac to welcome the holiday season with festive event lineup

SMC Founders Day celebrates 60th anniversary

MDHHS warns Michigan residents about increase in whooping cough cases