WS Chronicle

On what would’ve been King’s 95th birthday, more than 800 people from all walks of life came together to celebrate his legacy and live out the true meaning of his dream, during the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer Breakfast held at the Benton Convention Center. 

The annual event hosted by The Chronicle, in partnership with the Ministers’ Conference of Winston-Salem and Vicinity, focuses on advancing King’s dream of racial harmony and equity. It provides a platform for individuals from culturally diverse backgrounds to come together, share a meal, partake in an inspirational message, and unite in prayer as one community.

While giving the welcome, James Taylor, Jr., publisher of The Chronicle, reminded the crowd that in 1964, Dr. King visited Winston-Salem and spoke about the importance of voting and organizing while addressing a crowd gathered at Goler Memorial AME Zion Church. 

“On April 13, 1964, Dr. King himself traveled to the city of Winston-Salem and while he was here, he charged and encouraged the people of our city to seek first class citizenship by voting, by organizing issues that affect our quality of life, and by polling nonviolent protest when necessary,” Taylor continued. “As we celebrate Dr. King today, let us remember his lasting contributions to our local history, our local heritage, and our local culture.”

Other speakers who reflected on King’s legacy during the prayer breakfast included: the Honorable Judge Denise Hartsfield, who served as the emcee; Mayor Allen Joines; Mayor Pro Tempore Denise Adams; Victor Isler, a member of the Alpha Phi Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity; James Perry, CEO of the Winston-Salem Urban League; Al Jabbar, president of the NAACP Winston-Salem Chapter; Dr. Antonia Monk, president and CEO of the United Way of Forsyth County; Reginald McCaskill, president of Maximum Enterprises; and Dr. Keith Vereen, president of the Ministers’ Conference of Winston-Salem and Vicinity. Throughout the morning, Willie Mason and Friends provided the musical entertainment.

The keynote address was delivered by a candidate for N.C. Superintendent of Public Instruction, Maurice “Mo” Green.

Green started his address by raising a question: “What if we honored Dr. King’s legacy by turning it into reality?” Green went on to discuss an article written by King when he was a student at Morehouse College. In the article published in The Maroon Tiger, the school’s newspaper, King talked about education having both a moral and practical function. 

“Dr. King wrote in part, intelligence plus character, that is the goal of true education,” Green said. “This morning I want to humbly explore with you the idea of truly honoring Dr. King’s words regarding education by turning those words into reality throughout North Carolina.”

Green said King’s words in the article resonated with him when he served as superintendent of Guilford County Schools, a position he held from 2008-2016. As superintendent of the third largest school district in the state, Green made it his mission to include parents in the decision-making process in Guilford County. Upon arrival in 2008, he launched a “Listen and Learning Tour” to get input from parents, students, principals and community members. The “Mo Wants to Know” campaign received more than 3,000 responses from stakeholders within the community. On Jan. 27, 2009, the responses were incorporated into the county’s first-ever strategic plan.

Prior to joining Guilford County Schools, Green held several positions with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS). He joined the district in 2001 as its general counsel and in 2006 he was named chief operating officer. Upon his departure, he held the additional title of deputy superintendent. His duties included running the day-to-day operations of the district, which boasted 135,000 students, nearly 18,000 employees and a $1.17 billion budget.

If elected this fall, Green said King’s words will likely shape his thinking and his actions. He said now is the time to say enough is enough and fully commit to educating our children in public schools, not only in critical knowledge, but critical humanity as well.  

Green said although reforming education is a daunting task, if we unite and push toward a common goal and provide public schools with the resources and funding they need, it can be done. Currently, North Carolina ranks 48th in the country in public school funding. 

“I suppose we could honor Dr. King’s words on education on our current funding if we are willing to settle for mediocre,” Green said. “If we’re not willing to invest the necessary financial and other resources needed to do it in an incredible manner, then we can do it, I suppose, in a mediocre manner … If we’re not willing to commit to doing it with excellence, to being the best in the country, we will come short of honoring Dr. King. If we really want to honor Dr. King’s legacy, we must strive for excellence.”