Mayor’s Column

“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.”

                                                                                                Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.           

Next week we celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and honor the memory of this civil rights pioneer who dared to dream.

Dr. King followed the non-violent protest philosophies of Gandhi and constantly reminded his followers that their fight for equality would be victorious if they did not resort to bloodshed.  Between 1957 and 1968, Dr. King traveled over six million miles and gave over 2500 speeches, while writing five books in support of civil rights and equality for all Americans.

On August 23, 1963, more than 250,000 people gathered in Washington D.C. where Dr. King led a peaceful march to the Capitol Building to support the passing of laws that guaranteed every American equal civil rights.  It was on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial that Dr. King delivered his legendary speech later entitled, “I Have a Dream.”

During his crusade, Dr. King was awarded five honorary degrees and named “Man of the Year” by Time Magazine in 1963.  At the age of 35, he became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize and donated his prize money of $54,123 to the civil rights movement.

On the evening of April 4, 1968, while standing on the balcony of his motel room in Memphis, Tennessee, this man of peace was violently assassinated.

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self evident; that all men are created equal.  I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character…”

We should all strive to live this dream in tribute to Dr. King.

** The Voorhees Breakfast Rotary Club will be holding its annual Voorhees Township Community Service Awards Dinner on Thursday, Jan. 25 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at The Mansion. At this event, the Voorhees Breakfast Rotary Club will honor their Community Service Award recipients for 2017, including the Voorhees Business of the Year, Samaritan Healthcare & Hospice( MaryAnn Boccolini, Amy Maricondi), the Voorhees Citizen of the Year, Karanveer Pannu, the Voorhees First Responder of the Year, Glenn Werner, and the Voorhees Selfless Student of the Year, Rachel Waro. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to www.Voorheesbreakfastrotary.org.