By OLIVIA BERGMEIER
Salina Post
Chorus, dance and meaningful speeches filled St. John's Missionary Baptist Church, SJMBC, Monday afternoon, celebrating the life and legacy of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and how to continue his work today.
Toward the end of the celebration, the keynote speaker and SJMBC Youth Choir Director, Ralita Cheeks, informed the audience of the meaning behind diversity and encouraged them to use it in everyday life.
"I am proposing that we take real big concepts like diversity, and we apply that — I have a dream that one day my little children will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character," Cheeks said. "You may not look like me, you may not think like me, but you say you want to come and work with me to create the blueprint? Well, I think it's going to be okay."
Cheeks provided more to this thought, with an analogy that a cake made from only one ingredient would crumble and barely resemble the recipe set before the baker.
She set up the analogy, stating that as she bakes, she enjoys setting out each ingredient before beginning, setting up the "blueprint" to follow.
"If I'm baking a cake, and I don't actually put any of that stuff [ingredients] into the bowl, I don't get anything that diversity had to offer," Cheeks said. "So listen, we're talking about diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, and what I'm proposing is that we utilize these tools to create a new culture — so let's talk about building."
The "blueprint" refers to King's activism during the Civil Rights Movement, which Cheeks said still holds today.
Changing the culture from King's legacy
The song, "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing," began the celebration at noon, with the Salina Central High School, SCHS, Choir following after a few short words from Pastor Brandon Cheeks welcoming the audience.
After SCHS concluded their song "Free Spirit," Kansas Wesleyan University Student and youth speaker Keenan Hobbs gave insight into his generation's work from King's legacy.
Hobbs shared about his work with youth and the benefits of swapping life stories and sharing knowledge with everyone at the table.
"Sharing knowledge with the youth is the key to many aspects of change," Hobbs said. "We must create spaces where people feel safe to share their experiences, fears and hopes, making sure we listen with open arms and hearts. You can gain an understanding of each other, and you can learn from one another."
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One of the focuses during the Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration was youth and passing knowledge and experiences from previous generations to the next.
This idea presented itself through the event schedule — six of the seven presentations centered around youth expression and art through dance and song.
When Hobbs concluded his speech, the SJMBC Youth Choir took the stage and performed "Hang On," with lyrics encouraging the audience to persevere toward their goals.
The SJMBC Men of Praise youth performance group followed the choir, presenting an original dance for the audience.
Salina Central High School, SSHS, Choir performed the song "New Dawn" next, with the SJMBC Angels for Christ dancing group concluding the youth presentations.
Cheeks then took to the stage to present her thoughts on King's legacy, work, and meaning for the new generations to the audience.
Outside of her work at SJMBC, Cheeks works as a school counselor at SCHS and has worked in social justice and activism.
"We like to affirm our students and encourage them to push past what they can see. So instantly, when I say 'diversity,' a lot of you, not all of you probably, saw races and ethnicities in your mind. As a school counselor, I want to tell you, 'Yes, and,'" Cheeks said. "Because when I talk about diversity, it's not just about races and ethnicities, I'm talking about gender, about able-bodied. I'm talking about bodies that need assistance. I'm talking about your learners who excel and those who need some assistance — that's diversity."
She continued that without including everyone in decision-making, businesses and community spaces — many will miss the critical experiences and knowledge those from various backgrounds have to offer.
"Call to action is that as we are trying to create new cultue, can we please try appreciating diversity, utilizing equity, puposefully include people," Cheeks said. "If somebody proposes an idea, let's really look to see what that idea might look like. Include them in the process so that we can create a sense of belonging."
She concluded her presentation with a quote from King.
"I have a dream that one day every valley will be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low. The rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight," Cheeks quoted King. "And the glory of God will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together."
