Breakfast celebrates King's dream, kickoff of 'No Student Hungry' plan

By TIM FORSBERG
Posted 1/22/19

By TIM FORSBERG At Monday's 36th annual scholarship breakfast hosted by the Ministers Alliance of Rhode Island at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet, hundreds of attendees celebrated the life and message of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. while encouraging student

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Breakfast celebrates King's dream, kickoff of 'No Student Hungry' plan

Posted

At Monday’s 36th annual scholarship breakfast hosted by the Ministers Alliance of Rhode Island at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet, hundreds of attendees celebrated the life and message of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. while encouraging student scholarship winners to reach their full potential.

The celebration of unity, diversity, growth and love, which included Governor Gina Raimondo, Senator Jack Reed and Congressman David Cicilline, seemed to be perfectly timed following recent racially charged national events, including an encounter last Friday in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. involving high school students, Native Americans and other groups.

“From the day I was born, I think my mother was keenly aware that I would face the same double jeopardy she had, and I mean double jeopardy in the sense that we were both black and women,” said Love Dahn, recipient of a scholarship. “For that reason, naming me ‘Love,’ I believe, serves as a constant reminder to choose tenderness in the face of hostility and rise above obstacles I am bound to face as a black woman. The moment I became consciously aware of racial disparities the meaning behind my name has served as a guiding principal.”

Reverend Jabulani McCalister, president of the Ministers Alliance of Rhode Island, said that the occasion celebrates the legacy and dream of Dr. King along with his ideals of fair treatment and equality regardless of race, class or creed. He said King’s legacy was more than just a dream, that his words still spark action, and that the Ministers Alliance plans to continue to be a part of fulfilling that dream.

Governor Raimondo said that at times it appears that the country is moving backwards due to divisiveness, anger, a lack of humanity and lack of kindness. She asked that there be a renewed commitment to King’s ideals of kindness, compassion, tolerance, acceptance and love of everyone regardless of their background.

“We can’t control what happens in other places, but we do have a great influence on what happens here in our community,” she said. “Let’s commit ourselves to making sure everybody in the state of Rhode Island has a shot – a fair shot – at opportunity, at an education, at a good job, and an opportunity to get ahead.”

This year’s event also served as the kickoff of Governor Raimondo’s newest initiative, her “No Student Hungry” proposal, which hopes to ensure that no student in Rhode Island, from pre-K through college goes hungry.

“Today I say, you can’t be a good student and you can’t study if you’re hungry. So today I’m announcing a new initiative to combat child hunger in the state of Rhode Island,” said Raimondo. "Right now, only about half of students eligible for free or reduced breakfast actually eat breakfast at school. And as many as half of all college students say they're going to bed hungry. So, we're going to commit to ensure that no student in Rhode Island goes hungry."

Her proposed budget would allocate $290,000 to fund the program.

According to Raimondo, the proposal requires eligible public schools to serve free breakfast and lunch to all students; requires public schools to serve breakfast after the school day starts so more students participate; makes it easier for low-income college students to qualify for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program); and matches federal funds so that SNAP recipients enrolled at CCRI can get financial support for things such as transportation, books and child care. She then asked attendees to support her proposal.

Senator Jack Reed thanked the Alliance for bringing the community together on the national holiday to reflect upon King’s legacy and to salute the scholarship recipients for their leadership.

“Dr. King left a great legacy, and among one of his greatest lessons was that we have a responsibility to produce the leaders of the next generation, those that will take up his work,” said Reed. “We have to all work to continue to ensure that opportunity is available to all in our schools, in our workplaces, throughout our country and in our democracy.”

Congressman David Cicilline said that the Alliance had made a difference in the lives of many through their scholarship program. He also recognized the talent, intelligence and ambition of the scholarship recipients while delivering a message that progress needed to be fought for. Cicilline said he was afraid that the current political climate might be backing away from King’s message.

“I fear that a growing number of Americans would rather wall themselves off from their neighbors than be concerned for their well being. In times when Dr. King found himself surrounded by hatred or even in complete isolation, he saw the good in every person,” he said. “We’re living in a time where it seems that the only focus is on the things that divide us, sometimes literally, and it’s easy to forget the multitude of ways that we’re connected.”

Keynote speaker Dr. Francoise Hamlin, an associate professor of History and African Studies at Brown University, delivered a speech focusing on Dr. King the man through the eyes of a historian. She encouraged the audience to look beyond the popular quotes and sound bites attributed to King to learn more about his message. She said it was important to unlearn the image of King that the mass media provides, for he was not a man on a pedestal but one who struggled, had evolving opinions, doubted himself, and reworked his goals.

“We need to decide to do something to make your world, your country, your state, your church, your community, your school, your family a better and safer place. Let us take Rev. King’s life as an example of what’s possible and with God’s help turn it into action,” she said.

This year’s scholarship recipients include Patience Abegboyega, a student at Brown university; Josephina Chulu of the University of Rhode Island; Love Dahn, a student at the University of Rhode Island, Ameera Kuforjii of Brown University; Sara Mays of the University of Rhode Island; Koyeawon Mendee of Northeastern University; Ade Osinubi of Brown University; Stephen Sando, a student at the University of Rhode Island; Mokouteh Toe of Roger Williams University; and Faith Williams of the Community College of Rhode Island.

“Being a Martin Luther King scholar means carrying on the legacy. It is a constant reminder to use my college education to fight for the disadvantaged,” said Patience Adegboyega. “Ultimately, the honor of being a Martin Luther King Jr. scholar also comes with the responsibility of continuing to fight for true civil rights.”

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  • Portquin

    That was not a racial event at the Abraham Lincoln statue at least not on the part of the White young students. That was blacks attacking the whites because they had Maga hats on. The students was simply there to stand up for unborn children who have no voice. It turned racial when black people started yelling racist remarks to these white students. The Native American got involved and the young boy just stood there. They weren't calling for a wall they weren't calling for anything except the lives of unborn children and at the time they were only waiting for a bus.

    Tuesday, January 22, 2019 Report this

  • Straightnnarrow

    "According to Raimondo, the proposal requires eligible public schools to serve free breakfast and lunch to all students; requires public schools to serve breakfast after the school day starts so more students participate; makes it easier for low-income college students to qualify for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)..."

    Our Godless Marxist Governor would snatch every baby born alive (she would kill the others in the womb) from their mothers and make them wards of the State so that all the children will pray that they be given their daily bread by the State, instead of from God as is said in the Lord's prayer "Give us this day our daily bread..." We get what we deserve.

    Thursday, January 24, 2019 Report this

  • Straightnnarrow

    Once upon a time , there were 3 comments to this column and now there are 2. The scrubbed comment mentioned the truth that Dr King was a notorious womanizer. Is that truth now politically incorrect and considered RACIST so it can't be mentioned? Who is the Mr Clean that scrubbed this comment? And will the exploits of the Kennedy family and Mr Clinton also be considered RACISTS and cannot be mentioned or is it just black folks that will be cleansed?

    Sunday, January 27, 2019 Report this