Culture & Community | MLK Day | Arts & Anti-racism
Penelope Stewart. Photos Kapp Singer.
Standing behind the pulpit, 8-year-old Penelope Stewart launched into a falsetto as she began the second verse of Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World.”
“I see skies of blue and clouds of white,” Stewart sang, holding the microphone with the confidence of a seasoned star. After she hit the final note and organist Dominc Armour’s accompaniment rang out, the entire audience rose to their feet in applause.
“I felt good,” Stewart said afterwards. “I’ve never actually been nervous.”
Penelope Stewart.
Stewart’s vocals set the tone for the Hamden Black History Committee’s annual celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Bible Gospel Center in Hamden Sunday. With Holding Onto Hope in Tough Times as the program’s theme, the two hour event featured songs, prayers and stories about King’s life and a sermon from Bible Gospel Center Senior Pastor Darius Good.
Sunday marked the 20th anniversary of the event, which was presented in cooperation with Hamden’s mayor, Lauren Garrett, who was in attendance and gave a short opening speech.
“The Hamden Black History Committee does such a wonderful job of putting together a celebration for Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday,” Garrett said afterwards. “They bring in so many different talents.”
“Each person who had the mic in their hand had something to express,” said Evan Simmons, who served as the master of ceremony. “But the one overall message was never lose hope. Truly, never lose hope.”
Hamden High School Black & Hispanic Student Union (BHSU) Secretary Bobbi Henderson said the fight for racial equality continues.
“As we take time to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., let us all carry his message forward and make sure his struggles will be used as stepping stones for a future where everyone is equal and free, ” Henderson said.
Fellow students in the BHSU, Rilee Lewis and Christian Smith, each offered a song building on Henderson’s message.
Lewis performed “A Change Is Gonna Come,” injecting new life into Sam Cooke’s iconic lyrics, and Smith presented a moving rendition of Leon Bridge’s “River.”
Christian Smith.
Harold Haughton, a singer at Bible Gospel Center, spoke of the importance of Dr. King’s trust in his faith while doing the often-grueling work of nonviolent resistance, following his words with a rendition of the spiritual “My Soul Has Been Anchored in the Lord.”
The Rev. Keith King, senior pastor at the Christian Tabernacle Baptist Church in Hamden, offered a short speech about King’s selflessness. He reminded the audience that when King received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, his annual income was only around $8,000; despite this, he donated the entire $54,000 monetary prize to various civil rights organizations, including the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the Gandhi Society for Human Rights, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
Good delivered the event’s signature sermon entitled “You don’t need hope, you need help,” in which he explained the importance of following powerful, clear-eyed leaders.
Senior Pastor Darius Good.
Throughout the entire program, speakers emphasized the importance of today’s youth continuing to fight for racial equality and spoke of the necessity of finding and following luminaries like Dr. King.
“Our leaders made a difference 70 years ago, 50 years ago, and our leaders today are still fighting for change,” said Deborah Moxam, chair of the Black History Committee.
“Hope, faith, unity, perseverance: these are not buzzwords,” Simmons added, “they’re real words.”