A football field is one place where there usually is a level playing field for all races, and much can be learned from that, a guest speaker told more than 700 people attending a luncheon Saturday in Bloomington.
The 32nd annual Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Luncheon paid tribute to the historic civil rights leader and to four local leaders who exemplify his goals.
“We want to stimulate, motivate and encourage you to be part of our dream and an element of positive change,” said Evelyn Young, chairwoman of the Normal Human Relations Commission, which together with its Bloomington counterpart sponsored the annual event at the Interstate Center in Bloomington.
The event pays tribute to the life and legacy of King and to two adults and two youths “who make our community a better place to live,” she said.
Keynote speaker the Rev. Joe Ehrmann of Baltimore, a pastor, inspirational speaker and former National Football League player, said he lives by one of King’s quotes: “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”
“King held up a mirror to America,” Ehrmann said. This made people examine their attitudes about materialism, militarism and racism, he said.
One of the best ways to continue to address these issues is on the sports field, Ehrmann said.
“Sports is the secular religion of America,” he said. It engages more families than anything else.
The NFL is one of the most level playing fields for races, said Ehrmann, who played football professionally for 13 years for the Baltimore Colts and Detroit Lions.
He has spent most of the past 20 years dealing with social, economic and racial problems in Baltimore.
Ehrmann’s efforts to use coaching to redefine masculinity in terms of service and positive relationships were the subject of the New York Times bestseller “Season of Life” by Jeffrey Marx.
He instructs coaches about how they can use sports to elevate young people’s self-esteem, build relationships and teach them to unite for a common goal.
Ehrmann said he was thrilled to be part of a King tribute event, which has lasted more than three decades and continues to address the issues of racial and social injustice — “issues that historically create great discomfort and unease.”
“We need to knock down old walls that keep us separate,” Ehrmann said.
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Events scheduled to honor MLK Jr.
DVD recordings of King’s speeches — Read by Illinois Wesleyan University students, faculty and staff; to be played continuously Tuesday in the corridor between the Henning Room and the Davidson Room, Memorial Center, 104 E. University St., Bloomington. Call (309) 556-3412.
Martin Luther King Jr. Fellowship Dinner — 1 p.m. Saturday, main lounge of Illinois Wesleyan University’s Memorial Center, 104 University St., Bloomington. Guest speaker: the Rev. Michael Pfleger, a community and civil rights activist from Chicago. Cost: $12 for adults and $6 for children. Dinner tickets can be purchased at Hansen Student Center, IWU Bookstore, by calling (309) 556-3059 or through the Rev. James Sims at (309) 828-4602. People with disabilities requiring auxiliary aids, services or other arrangements should call (309) 556-3429.
Annual ISU Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Banquet — 5 p.m. Saturday, ISU Bone Student Center Brown Ballroom. Guest speaker: T. Hudson Williams. Cost: $15 to $17. Call (309) 438-5444.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. National Holiday Gospel Festival Celebration — With local choirs, soloists, singers and dancers; 3 to 9 p.m. Jan. 21, IWU Westbrook Auditorium, Presser Hall. 1210 Park St. People with disabilities requiring auxiliary aids, services or other arrangements should call (309) 556-3429.
Festival of Spirituals in tribute to King — 11 a.m. to noon, Jan. 23, Evelyn Chapel, 1301 N. Park St., Bloomington. Chapel hour led by associate professor of music Carren Moham.
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King honorees
Award winners recognized Saturday at the Martin Luther King Jr. Luncheon were:
Monica Lyndell Taylor of Normal
Recipient of Normal’s Human Relations Award. The employee of State Farm Insurance Cos. and graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University is active in local organizations, including Zeta Phi Beta sorority, the Bloomington-Normal Black History Project and the McLean County Diversity Project.
Camille Taylor of Bloomington
Recipient of Bloomington’s Human Relations Award. She is a Normal Community High School teacher involved with the community and is the sponsor of the Students Embracing Diversity Club and the Gay Straight Alliance, both at NCHS.
Ryan Smoot of Bloomington
Recipient of the Youth “I Have a Dream” Award for Bloomington. The NCHS student was co-leader of the Students Embracing Diversity Club, participated in the Not In Our Town Youth Summit, and has been a peer leader helping tutor students at Grove Elementary School. He is the son of Sherry and Andy Smoot.
Molly Sender of Normal
Recipient of the Youth “I Have a Dream” Award for Normal. The NCHS student is a co-leader of the Students Embracing Diversity Club, participated in the Not In Our Town Youth Summit and volunteers with a number of organizations in the community. Molly is the daughter of Alan Sender and McLean County Circuit Court Judge Elizabeth Robb.
This article was provided by: Pantagraph
Written by: Phyllis Coulter
