MANCHESTER – The dreams and achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were once again remembered and honored during a milestone celebration at the township’s high school.
The celebratory program is believed to be one of the longest continually running tributes to the life of the civil rights leader in the state and among the longest in the country. The ceremonies began the year after Dr. King’s assassination and was coordinated by chorus founder, Queen Cannon, with the support of the school district.
Cannon was a teacher and guidance counselor in Manchester for 35 years and also served as an interim principal. Her nephew, Eric Lawson, has been the master of ceremonies at the event for a number of years.
This year marked the 55th year and featured performances by the Manchester Gospel Chorus and a number of speakers and performers. High school principal Dennis Adams, who is also a pastor, presented the invocation.
Interim School Superintendent Diane Pedroza said she has been attending this special event since she was a middle school teacher.
“It is such a wonderful and truly uplifting event and it is outstanding that this tribute continues to be celebrated here in Manchester,” she said. The longevity of the event was “clearly based on the traditions and our commitment to what is important here at Manchester Township schools.”
“In Manchester we share in Dr. King’s mission to create an empowering, positive, loving and faith filled message that engenders peace and love of all faces and races in Manchester as Dr. King states in his I have a dream speech we cannot walk alone and students alike cannot do what they do without the support of their families, their teachers, the administration, the community and the Board of Education,” she added.
She told the large crowd at the event, “you encourage, you inspire students and you get them to step out of their comfort zone and work toward bringing peace, unity and positivity not only within our schools but the community. It takes a village and we are grateful that you are all part of our village.”
Jovonna Bray led the audience in the pledge of allegiance while Jadyn Bullock, Imani Bray and Jazmine Bray sang the first musical piece “Lift Every Voice” by James Weldon Johnson and John Rosamond Johnson.
Nancy Scharff sang a version of “God Bless America” by Irving Berlin that she noted, “has added lyrics that you don’t always hear.”
“We have something unique tonight,” Lawson said. “When I read it in the program I said, I’m curious. The Rappin’ Rabbi who I think will steal the show tonight.”
Lawson’s remark proved to be on the mark as “The Rappin’ Rabbi” was a hit on stage. “I don’t even go by the name the Rappin’ Rabbi, I’m Rabbi Jan Rosenberg of Beth Zion Messianic Synagogue in Jackson Township. This song is called ‘Answer To My Dream.’ I had this thought that came to me and I thought a dream only remains a dream until you wake up to make the dream real.”
“It is not enough to have a dream. Dr. King’s answer moment came to him at his kitchen one night in 1956 when God responded to his prayer about his fear. God said stand up for justice, stand up for truth, I will be with you always. I didn’t know that story until after the song came out and realized that my answer to the dream in the song was the same as what God told him that night when he thought should he quit or go on?” Rabbi Rosenberg added.
“We need to press on for the dream and not be sidetracked by other voices out there,” the Rabbi added.
That was also the message keynote speaker Dr. Lee Roy Jefferson, who recently retired and served as president of Northern Baptist School of Religion in the city of Newark. He was joined by his wife Jeannette, and said “The world today needs to make room for Dr. King’s dream. There is so much that is going wrong. It is apparent that instead of going forward some of us are going backwards. Instead of becoming a light some of us are becoming children of darkness.”
“Dr. King once said, darkness cannot drive out darkness only light can do that. Hate can not drive out hate only love can do that,” he added.
Manchester High School graduate and activist A’Liah Moore spoke about “the Art of Faith” in being known as well as being seen as a person.
Pastor and performer Calvin Berry got the audience out of their seats with his singing and his speech.
The program concluded with several musical numbers performed by the middle school and high school gospel chorus and with closing remarks by musical directors Jay and Taylor Bullock.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968, and in cities and towns across the country, communities came together for celebrations on his birthday that emphasized his messages as the fight for civil rights continued. The first celebrations were held in January 1969, and the Manchester Schools gospel chorus program was among them.
Manchester Gospel Chorus Director Jay Bullock as well as Chorus and Choral Director Taylor Bullock worked closely with their mother, former chorus director Selena Bullock who died a few years ago. They, along with Jadyn Bullock, the assistant choral director, have continued the legacy of the chorus and the tribute program.
Whiting Elementary School Principal Evelyn Swift served as director of the MLK event for many years. She was once a student member of the chorus. The new director is Ashley Ramirez who was a student of Swift’s and a member of the chorus when Swift directed.
Pedroza also taught Ramirez in her youth.
Pedroza told Ramirez, “to see you first as a student, then as a teacher and now in this role is remarkable to watch. You are going to do such an amazing job and shine for us.”
