Celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.
On Sunday, January 19, the Rhode Island Civil Rights Roundtable sponsored a panel discussion on civil rights. An estimated crowd of more than 100 people at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Providence was asked: Are the civil rights of Americans today significantly better than they were 50 years ago when the civil rights movement forced the end to segregation? There was some mixed reaction to the question. While major changes were positively made, there still is significant discrimination, prejudice and bias.
The Rev. Linda Watkins, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Pawtucket, was the moderator for a panel discussion that looked at some of the civil rights issues facing us today. The panel included: Representative Joseph Almeida, who serves on the Rhode Island Black and Latino Caucus, Michael Aarugo, from the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Union, Local 23, Hillary Davis, a policy associate of the CRI ACLU, Nick Figueroa, former chair, and Eugene Monteiro, current chair of the Rhode Island Coalition Against Racial Profiling.
Representative Almeida said that minorities must get the work they are entitled to receive by law. Too many jobs that are supposed to be filled by minorities simply do not go to them. He spoke of the need for legislation against racial profiling to get passed this year, a fight that goes back to 1999. He was also concerned about the need for immigration reform and the importance of giving people with a prison record a path to getting jobs.
Michael Aarugo spoke of wage inequity and the need to increase the minimum wage. Aaugo said that too many people and families are not making a living wage. He reminded the audience that the March on Washington was called The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. During the 1950s and ‘60s, there was a racial and economic inequity. This has not changed. Aarugo said the labor struggle is a civil rights issue. Fifty years ago, unions represented 37 percent of the jobs. Today, that number is seven percent. People forget that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. recognized the need for unions in our country. He went to Tennessee to fight for the Garbage Workers union when he was assassinated.
Hillary Davis of the Rhode Island ACLU stated that our schools are becoming a pipeline to prisons, especially for minorities. Suspensions have become normalized. Many of the students, including first graders, are often taken away in handcuffs for simply having a bad day. Believe it or not, more than 70 first graders were suspended from school in 2012.
Nick Figueroa and Eugene Monteiro spoke of their concern for racial bias and profiling in our state. They cited that minorities are four times more likely to get pulled over for a traffic stop. What can be done to eradicate this problem? Attend the racial profile hearings that will be held at the statehouse this year. The presence of people against the practice of profiling will help get the bill passed.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Breakfast, organized by the Ministers Alliance, was the place to be on the morning of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. A cadre of community leaders, from politicians to clergy, corporate sponsors, and social justice leaders, attended the program.
Rev. Dr. Donald Anderson of the RI State Council of Churches opened the program with the invocation. His talk included comments about the 50th Anniversary War on Poverty. The focus this year was on education. Dr. Sammy Vaughan, president of the Alliance and pastor of St. James Baptist Church in Woonsocket, had the honor of introducing his son, Michael Vaughan, as the keynote speaker, a senior assistant dean at the University of Delaware, College of Engineering. He offered words of encouragement to the students receiving the scholarships to reach a pathway of success. “Dream,” said Vaughan, “and then go after your dreams.” He voiced a concern that there was a lack of knowledge and confidence gap in our country today. However, we have in our DNA the solutions to succeed. We only need to apply it.
The program included remarks from Senator Jack Reed, Congressman David Cicilline, Lt. Governor Elizabeth Roberts, Mayor Angel Taveras, Mayor Allan Fung and the president of The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Jim Vincent. One of the scholarship recipients was a 62-year-old gentleman who returned to school at CCRI.
Perhaps the most exciting program was held at the Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence. An educational forum with candidates for Governor and the Mayor of Providence to discuss their RI vision for non-violence.” A standing-room-only crowd wanted to hear what the candidates had to say about the violence in the state. Teny Gross, executive director of the Institute, welcomed everyone and said that it was time we held the candidates accountable, and that the forum was a beginning to that. The Governor’s Forum included Democrats, General Treasurer Gina M. Raimondo, Providence Mayor Angel Taveras and Todd Giroux, of Bristol. Mayor Allan Fung and Ken Block did not participate. The Providence Mayor’s Forum included Brett Smiley, Lorne A. Adrain, City Council President Michael Solomon, Jorge O. Elorza and Christopher Young. Candidates for mayor were asked different questions than the candidates for governor. The program was co-sponsored by PeaceRI.
The day’s events concluded with the 27th Annual Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Providence, presented by the State Holiday Commission. The Rev. Carl Balark, Pastor of the Church, provided the invocation to this special event. NAACP president, Jim Vincent, received the “Living the Dream Award” for his outstanding community involvement. James (Jimmy) Winters, a retired Newport policemen, received the “Community Service Award” for his dedication to helping the homeless and the hungry. Cliff Monteiro, the former NAACP of Providence president, received a “Special Recognition Award” for his contributions over the years. Monteiro, a retired policeman, was on the civil rights ground floor, having marched with Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, along with now Congressman John Lewis. Speakers of the program included Senator Jack Reed, Congressman David Cicilline, Governor Lincoln Chafee, General Treasurer Gina Riamondo and State Senator Harold Metts.
MARTY COOPER is the Community Relations Director at the Jewish Alliance.
published by
