WS Chronicle

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was celebrated all across the city this past Monday.  After a day of celebrating King, the Ministers’ Conference of Winston-Salem and Vicinity (MCWSV) honored those who embody the ideals King lived by in their service held at St. Paul United Methodist Church.

The theme of this year’s service was “Honoring Women in the Struggle.”  Keeping with the spirit of the night, three women were honored.  Winston-Salem Police Chief Catrina Thompson was honored with the Criminal Justice Award, City Council Member Denise “D.D.” Adams with the Public Service Award and Emma Allen was honored with the Entrepreneur of the Year award.

The honorees all echoed the same sentiment once they took the podium, which was that women deserve the same as men when it comes to all facets of life.  They felt women have been in the background for too long and now is the time for women to come to the forefront.

A successful woman is one who can build a firm foundation with bricks others have thrown at her, said Thompson.  “We are extremely grateful and appreciative for the Ministers’ Conference of Winston-Salem and Vicinity for doing the right thing by honoring people who are working hard in the fight to advance education, food insecurities, poverty and homelessness, and a lot of us are women.”

Allen added, “The thing that resonated tonight was being tired of being sick and tired and the power of women and all that we can do if we choose to support our own and support black businesses.”

Adams said, “Again thanks to the Ministers’ Conference for doing what needed to be done and should have been done a long time ago because it’s women that carry the water and never get to drink from the bucket.  We have always been the ones that stayed with the community and raised the children and seniors even when times were bad.”

All three said they felt blessed and overwhelmed when they found out they were the award recipients this year.  They said it was humbling to be recognized for the things they are doing in the community.  They said the things they do every day are from the heart because it is the right and just thing to do.

The secondary purpose of the event was to also raise funds for the MCWSV’s scholarship program.  The conference raised nearly $3,000 Monday night to go toward this year’s fund.  Several students who have received scholarships in the past returned for the service to thank the conference for their contributions to their education.

Closing out the evening was a progressive message from Elder Tembila Covington, First Vice President of the MCWSV.  He sermon titled “So Sick and Tired Of Being Sick and Tired” carried on the theme of the night that women need not stand on the sidelines any longer because now is their time to shine.

Rev. Dr. Lamonte Williams, president of the MCWSV, thought the evening service was “very successful.”  He was elated to have the opportunity celebrate King, honor the award recipients and raise money to assist children in their quest for higher education.

“My prayer is that it is imperative that we speak up and speak out when you see an injustice and use platforms like tonight to get a charge out of people,” Williams said.  “There are so many famous quotes from Dr. King, but I think the one that seems more relevant is a man begins to die the moment he keeps silent on the things that matter.

“It is always good to recognize the work women have done across all landscapes.  I have always been very supportive of women and many have played a role in my personal life.  My bigger conversation is to deal with the issues that affect all people, whether it’s a man, woman, child or elderly person, because at the end of the day, it’s about human rights.”