WS Chronicle

For the past 21 years The Chronicle has kicked off Martin Luther King Jr. Day by hosting a prayer breakfast. While we weren’t able to physically bring the community together this year due to the pandemic, more than 5,000 people have tuned in to view the virtual event on Facebook and YouTube held earlier this week. 

In the wake of the insurrection we saw unfold at the U. S. Capitol last week, speakers said now more than ever we need to keep the ideals and beliefs of Dr. King alive. During the welcome, publisher James Taylor mentioned that in 1964 while visiting Winston-Salem, Dr. King gave a speech about the importance of voting and his beliefs on what he saw as two Americas. “As we look at the events that are happening in our country, it is evident that those two Americas still exist,” Taylor said. 

“When we unpack the events of terror that were recently inflicted upon the United States Capitol, we saw just how fragile our democracy is and we realized the severe urgency that’s needed to work to achieve Dr. King’s dream now, more than any other time in the history of this country. While we continue to write our history, I challenge you to consider a question: what side of history will you be on? Will you side with the dividers, those that seek to tear us apart with their words and even with their bare hands like we saw in the nation’s Capitol, or will you stand with the dreamers, those who believe that our people and our country can be better if we stand together?” 

Mayor Allen Joines said elected officials from Congress all the way down to the state and local levels have a responsibility to condemn the attack on the Capitol and those determined to divide our country. “Martin Luther King said that we can’t be silent about such things, so we condemn that with all the strength that we have,” said Joines in a prerecorded message. He said as we reflect on Dr. King’s legacy and what he means to this country, we must remember that darkness can’t drive out evil.

“We remember the things that Dr. King said, that darkness can’t drive out evil, only light can drive out evil, and so today we are working to shine the light of compassion and righteousness on those dark areas in our community and our country,” Joines said. 

While delivering the Charge to the Community, Elder Tembila Covington said injustice on any level must be exposed. Covington, who is serving her second term as president of the Ministers’ Conference of Winston-Salem and Vicinity (MCWSV), said Dr. King argued that such times of tension shows us who we are as a nation and now more than ever we must stand for justice. She said in order to heal the soul of the nation, we have to begin with ourselves and include God in our plans. 

“When we acknowledge to include God in our plans, we will be advocating just laws. Just laws towards one another, for the good of each other, and the common good of all. We have a responsibility to lead with a measure of humanity that upholds such law,” Covington said. “We must continue to stand for a just law and that law is to stand for justice.”

The virtual Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer Breakfast can be viewed by visiting The Chronicle’s Facebook page or by visiting The Chronicle’s YouTube channel.