Colombia’s local NAACP chapter honored Martin Luther King Jr. with an event focused on generations’ struggles for civil rights.
The event, which began at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Battle Gardens before moving on to Second Missionary Baptist Church, focused on King’s legacy and building a bridge to connect generations fighting for civil rights.
Mary A. Ratliff, President of the Columbia Chapter of the NAACP, delivered the opening address at the memorial. Ratliff emphasized King’s role in the civil rights movement and how he “played such a big part in our lives.”
“But we’re still fighting the good fight because we haven’t arrived yet, as you all know,” she told the crowd of several dozen.
Before the crowd moved to the Second Missionary Baptist Church, Bishop Russel Freeman spoke about the “chaos” in Colombia and referred to the recent killings.
Freeman told the audience that these issues are not new, but rather the product of ongoing trends that he believes make community engagement an even more important step in helping Columbia move from “chaos to a more loving community.” .
Columbia resident Robert Fisher said current events also inspired him to attend the event for the first time.
“With all the social unrest in the world and in the United States, I think it’s important to remember Martin Luther King,” he said.
Fisher added that he hopes the event and King’s teachings will help foster camaraderie and community in Colombia.
After the speeches, the crowd formed a procession of over 50 cars to the church. There, other community members attended the event, including Mayor Barbara Buffaloe, former Mayor Brian Treece, and Missouri State Representative David Tyson Smith.
Mayor Buffaloe spoke to the crowd about the importance of honoring King’s legacy beyond the holiday season.
“He was all about community and service. We’re talking about the day of service in honor of him and his birthday, but we [need to] provide service every day,” Buffaloe said in an interview. “We must remember his voice and his teachings every day, not just at this time.”
As part of the Columbia NAACP chapter’s goal of passing the torch to the next generation, Ratliff said the organization is working to educate more young residents to continue to advocate for equality in Columbia and beyond.
During one of her church speeches, Ratliff also got several families from the crowd to stand next to her and encouraged the children to “save our democracy by sitting on the bridge our ancestors built for us.” .
As part of his keynote address, Rev. Donald Ray MacNeal built on the theme of intergenerational bridging. MacNeal emphasized that King had followed in his father’s footsteps as a pastor and civil rights activist and that Columbia families should also lead by example.
As part of the service honoring the king, the NAACP also coordinated the provision of meals to the homeless in Colombia.
