Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist

Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist
Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Md Troopers Assoc #20 & Westminster Md Fire Dept Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist
Showing posts with label NAACP Carroll Co. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NAACP Carroll Co. Show all posts

Saturday, August 24, 2013

On the march with the 50th anniversary March on Washington


The Carroll County, MD Branch of the NAACP represented at the March on Washington on August 24, 2013 – John Lewis, Pam Zappardino, Virginia Harrison, Jean Lewis, Anna-Maria Halstead, Charles Harrison, Cheron Harris, Xiomara Pierre Charles Collyer and Kevin Earl Dayhoff at March on Washington - 50Th Anniversary.

50th anniversary March on Washington Aug. 24 2013




The Carroll County, MD Branch of the NAACP represented at the March on Washington on August 24, 2013 – John Lewis, Pam Zappardino, Virginia Harrison, Jean Lewis, Anna-Maria Halstead, Charles Harrison, Cheron Harris, Xiomara Pierre, Charles Collyer and Kevin Earl Dayhoff at March on Washington - 50Th Anniversary.

It was a day of camaraderie – for folks from all over the nation to come together and hear an amazing group of speakers that included Rep. John Lewis, Julian Bond, Martin Luther King III, Eric Holder, Cory Booker, Nancy Pelosi, Myrlie Evers Williams, Al Sharpton, Steny Hoyer, Ed Schultz, Denise King, Joseph Lowery, CT Vivan, representatives of the Human Rights Campaign, the National Council of LaRaza, the AFT, the NEA and many, many more.



The March on Washington speakers at the Reflecting Pool at the Lincoln Memorial




The Carroll County, MD Branch of the NAACP represented at the March on Washington on August 24, 2013 – John Lewis, Pam Zappardino, Virginia Harrison, Jean Lewis, Anna-Maria Halstead, Charles Harrison, Cheron Harris, Xiomara Pierre, Charles Collyer and Kevin Earl Dayhoff at March on Washington - 50Th Anniversary.

It was a day of camaraderie – for folks from all over the nation to come together and hear an amazing group of speakers that included Rep. John Lewis, Julian Bond, Martin Luther King III, Eric Holder, Cory Booker, Nancy Pelosi, Myrlie Evers Williams, Al Sharpton, Steny Hoyer, Ed Schultz, Denise King, Joseph Lowery, CT Vivan, representatives of the Human Rights Campaign, the National Council of LaRaza, the AFT, the NEA and many, many more.



The Carroll Co Md NAACP is at the 50th anniversary of MLK's March on Washington



The Carroll County, MD Branch of the NAACP represented at the March on Washington on August 24, 2013 – John Lewis, Pam Zappardino, Virginia Harrison, Jean Lewis, Anna-Maria Halstead, Charles Harrison, Cheron Harris, Xiomara Pierre, Charles Collyer and Kevin Earl Dayhoff at March on Washington - 50Th Anniversary.

It was a day of camaraderie – for folks from all over the nation to come together and hear an amazing group of speakers that included Rep. John Lewis, Julian Bond, Martin Luther King III, Eric Holder, Cory Booker, Nancy Pelosi, Myrlie Evers Williams, Al Sharpton, Steny Hoyer, Ed Schultz, Denise King, Joseph Lowery, CT Vivan, representatives of the Human Rights Campaign, the National Council of LaRaza, the AFT, the NEA and many, many more.



Saturday, February 02, 2013

Carroll Co Chapter NAACP, McDaniel, and Carroll Community College celebrate Martin Luther King with music

Carroll Co Chapter NAACP, McDaniel, and Carroll Community College celebrate Martin Luther King with music


Along with 80 other folks from throughout Carroll County, including a broad cross section of local elected officials; I attended the 10th annual Carroll County NAACP Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Breakfast at Martin’s Westminster.

Recently Explore Baltimore County ran an article on the annual celebration of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King at McDaniel College… Below, please find a portion of that article and a link to the rest of the article in the Baltimore Sun.



+++++++++++++

Carroll Co Chapter NAACP, McDaniel, and Carroll Community College celebrate Martin Luther King with music

'Celebrating the Dream' features music with memories of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. January 25, 2013 ExploreBaltimoreCounty http://www.baltimoresun.com/explore/baltimorecounty/news/community/ph-ce-mlk-celebration-0127-20130125,0,5392837.story

Though Jan. 21 was a school holiday for students around the country, a number of students were on a school campus earlier this week.

McDaniel College welcomed nearly 100 Carroll County schoolchildren on Monday to the fourth annual Martin Luther King Day of celebration and reflection.

From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., students of all ages participated in a variety of activities that celebrated King's life and provided a service to the community.

[…]

Carroll County Community College also provided supplies for the students to make cards for senior citizens as a service project.

"We recognize Dr. King's accomplishments and methods of nonviolence and his service to the community," said Pamela Zappardino, co-director of Ira and Mary Zepp Center for Non-violence and Peace Education, about the event. "It is a day on, rather than a day off. A component of the day is doing a service project."

The center at McDaniel College was a sponsor of the event, as was the NAACP.

"These things are always fun," Zappardino said. "The kids are great."



+++++++++++++++
Kevin Dayhoff is an artist - and a columnist for:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoffTwitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff
Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/ = www.newbedfordherald.net

Tumblr: Kevin Dayhoff Banana Stems www.kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/
Smurfs: http://babylonfluckjudd.blogspot.com/
Google profile: https://profiles.google.com/kevindayhoff/

E-mail: kevindayhoff(at)gmail.com
My http://www.explorecarroll.com/ columns appear in the copy of the Baltimore Sunday Sun that is distributed in Carroll County: https://subscribe.baltsun.com/Circulation/
+++++++++++++++

Rion Dennis NAACP Region VII Director speaks at annual Martin L King breakfast


Rion Dennis NAACP Region VII Director speaks at annual Martin L King breakfast


Labels: Annual Martin Luther King Day, Diversity Martin Luther King, NAACP, NAACP Carroll Co, Colleges Carroll Community College, Colleges McDaniel


Along with 80 other folks from throughout Carroll County, including a broad cross section of local elected officials; I attended the 10th annual Carroll County NAACP Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Breakfast at Martin’s Westminster.

Recently Explore Baltimore County ran an article on the annual celebration of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King at McDaniel College… Below, please find a portion of that article and a link to the rest of the article in the Baltimore Sun.



+++++++++++++

Carroll Co Chapter NAACP, McDaniel, and Carroll Community College celebrate Martin Luther King with music

'Celebrating the Dream' features music with memories of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. January 25, 2013 ExploreBaltimoreCounty http://www.baltimoresun.com/explore/baltimorecounty/news/community/ph-ce-mlk-celebration-0127-20130125,0,5392837.story

Though Jan. 21 was a school holiday for students around the country, a number of students were on a school campus earlier this week.

McDaniel College welcomed nearly 100 Carroll County schoolchildren on Monday to the fourth annual Martin Luther King Day of celebration and reflection.

From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., students of all ages participated in a variety of activities that celebrated King's life and provided a service to the community.

[…]

Carroll County Community College also provided supplies for the students to make cards for senior citizens as a service project.

"We recognize Dr. King's accomplishments and methods of nonviolence and his service to the community," said Pamela Zappardino, co-director of Ira and Mary Zepp Center for Non-violence and Peace Education, about the event. "It is a day on, rather than a day off. A component of the day is doing a service project."

The center at McDaniel College was a sponsor of the event, as was the NAACP.

"These things are always fun," Zappardino said. "The kids are great."

Monday, January 17, 2011

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.Carroll County NAACP Breakfast by Joe Getty

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

by Getty for Senate on Monday, January 17, 2011 at 2:35pm
Congratulations to the Carroll County Chapter of the NAACP for their excellent tribute to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., this past Saturday morning. I attended the eighth annual breakfast organized by Jean Lewis, President of Branch No. 7014, and other members of the local chapter.

An uplifting message was delivered by Ambassador Blango Ross, pastor of the Strawbridge United Methodist Church, New Windsor. While quoting scripture, Dr. King and text messages from his children, Pastor Ross offered an extraordinary commentary about the relevance of Dr. King's teachings in our modern world of technology.

As he referred to quotations from Dr. King's early speeches ("Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction"), Pastor Ross repeatedly returned to the role of love, family and a Christian lifestyle to counter the corrupting forces in modern society.

Another highlight of the morning was a presentation by Carroll County students Jordan Costley, Janae Henson, Troy Henson, Jasmine Rock and Tyrice Rock who read "Letters to Dr. King" from a book published to show how today's students feel about the legacy of Dr. King.

The entire program was admirably coordinated by master of ceremonies Doug Metz. A presentation of artwork for the NAACP headquarters was made by former Westminster Mayor Kevin Dayhoff and Caroline Babylon.
I encourage you to view the video of this event when it becomes available from the Carroll County Community Media Center (http://www.carrollmediacenter.org/)

While much of state government is closed today in honor of Dr. King, the Maryland General Assembly will convene at 8:00 p.m. this evening. I plan to attend the annual wreath-laying ceremony in front of the State House and then attend the traditional MLK speech in the Senate Chamber which this year will be given by my Baltimore County colleague, Senator Delores G. Kelley.

Additional information about the Carroll County Chapter of the NAACP is available on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carroll-County-NAACP/108954305789921).
A presentation of a print of Dr. Martin Luther King was made by Kevin Dayhoff and Caroline Babylon for the offices of the Carroll County NAACP.
Ambassador Blango Ross, pastor of Strawbridge United Methodist Church, gave the keynote address at the breakfast.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Explore Carroll: NAACP's annual MLK breakfast set for Jan. 15


WESTMINSTER -- The Carroll County NAACP chapter will host its Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast on Jan. 15, 8 a.m. at Martin's of Westminster. The cost is $30. The speaker will be Ambassador Blango Ross, pastor of Strawbridge United Methodist Church in New Windsor. For tickets, call Bernard Jones Sr. at 410-876-2358, or Jean Lewis at 410-861-6872, or 443-386-7191 or Charlotte Brown at 410-861-7890. http://www.explorecarroll.com/community/5057/community-notices/

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/
My http://www.explorecarroll.com/ columns appear in the copy of the Baltimore Sunday Sun that is distributed in Carroll County: https://subscribe.baltsun.com/Circulation/

Sunday, April 04, 2010

Judge Bell to speak at Carroll Co Freedom Fund Banquet


Robert M. Bell, Chief Judge, Maryland Court of Appeals to be the featured speaker at the Carroll County NAACP Branch 7014 Freedom Fund Banquet

Click here for a larger image: http://twitpic.com/1dc9n8

March 31, 2010 By Kevin Dayhoff http://tinyurl.com/ybghotl http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2010/04/judge-bell-to-speak-at-carroll-co.html

http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/313304.html

Crossposted: NEWS BRIEF — Maryland's chief judge to be featured speaker at ... Investigative Voice By Kevin Dayhoff Robert M. Bell, long-serving chief judge of the Maryland ... Editor's Note: Kevin Dayhoff, who frequently contributes to Investigative ...

~~~~~

The Carroll County branch of the NAACP has announced that Chief Judge Bell will be the keynote speaker at the upcoming annual Freedom Fund banquet to be held April 9.

In 1996, Bell became the only active judge in the State to have served at least four years on all four levels of Maryland’s judiciary, and the first African-American to be named the state’s chief jurist.

Bell began his long career as an attorney with the law firm Piper and Marbury. He was first appointed to the bench in 1975 as a judge of the District Court of Maryland for Baltimore City, according to information from his office.

He next served as a judge for the Circuit Court for Baltimore City from 1980 until 1984. In that year, he was appointed judge to the Court of Special Appeals of Maryland and in 1991, Bell was appointed to the Court of Appeals of Maryland.

On October 23, 1996 then-Maryland Governor Parris Glendening, appointed him to the state’s highest court, Judge of the Court of Appeals.

Bell, who in his current role manages over 3,000 employees, and oversees the Maryland court system, lectures frequently at schools and community groups.

He was born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina on July 6, 1943 grew-up in Baltimore where he attended Dunbar High School.

In 1960, twelve Dunbar High School students entered a downtown Baltimore restaurant, were refused service and subsequently arrested and convicted for trespassing.

One of those students was a young Bell, who led an appeal of the verdict in a landmark civil rights case, Bell v. Maryland, which was eventually argued before the United States Supreme Court and brought an end to de facto racial segregation in Maryland.

Bell continued his education at Morgan State College, where he received his A.B. degree in 1966. He went on to Harvard University Law School where he received his J.D. in 1969.

The annual banquet will be held this year at Martin's Westminster on Friday, April 9, 2010, beginning 6:30 pm. Tickets for the banquet are $45.00. For more information contact Charlotte Brown (410) 861-7890, Jean Lewis (410) 861-6872, Bernard Jones, Sr. (410)-876-2358, or the Carroll County NAACP web site, http://ccnaacp7014.blogspot.com/

20100331 sdosmked de SCE Bell to speak at NAACP banquet

Disclosure: The writer is a life member of the NAACP

Labels: Carroll Co NAACP, Diversity NAACP Carroll Co Chap, Judiciary Maryland, NAACP, NAACP Carroll Co

20100331 sdosmked de SCE Bell to speak at NAACP banquet

Robert M. Bell, Chief Judge, Maryland Court of Appeals to be the featured speaker at the Carroll County NAACP Branch 7014 Freedom Fund Banquet

Bell Chief Judge Md Court Appeals speaker Carroll Co MD NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet http://tinyurl.com/ybghotl http://twitpic.com/1dc9n8

*****

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/ = http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/ or http://kevindayhoffart.com/ = http://www.kevindayhoff.com/ Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/ or http://www.westgov.net/ = www.kevindayhoff.org Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoff Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/ = www.newbedfordherald.net Explore Carroll: www.explorecarroll.com The Tentacle: www.thetentacle.com

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Carroll County NAACP 6th Annual Martin Luther King Breakfast

The Carroll County NAACP Branch No. 7014 Sixth Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast in Westminster Maryland.

January 17, 2009

Left to right: Rev. Douglas Sands, Pastor Johnsville and White Rock United Methodist Churches; Dr. Vanessa Chappell-Lee; Rev. Dr. Barbara J. Sands, Pastor, Simpson-Hamline United Methodist Church, Washington, D.C, guest speaker at the event; Mrs. Jean Lewis, president of the Carroll County NAACP; and John Lewis.

Dayhoff Daily Photoblog
20090117 Carroll County NAACP 6th Annual Martin Luther King Breakfast

Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/

Thursday, January 08, 2009

McDaniel College/ Carroll County Public Schools MLK Essay Writing Contest

McDaniel College/ Carroll County Public Schools MLK Essay Writing Contest


Essay Questions:

High School
Compare and contrast Martin Luther King, Jr.’s ideal of the beloved community to Barack Obama’s vision for our country as expressed in his November 4, 2008 victory speech.

Middle School
Identify the common themes between Barack Obama and Martin Luther King, Jr. and how you think this has impacted Obama’s political success in becoming the president-elect.

Elementary School
Imagine that you are Martin Luther King, Jr. and write a letter to Barack Obama. What problems in the community would you ask him to address and why?


3 Prizes Will Be Awarded Each including:

$100.00 Cash Prize (High School Winner)
$75.00 Cash Prize (Middle School Winner)
$50.00 Cash Prize (Elementary School Winner)
MLK Commemorative T-Shirt
Certificate
Gift Bag

Essays Due
January 16, 2008

The essay should be no longer than 250 words for elementary students a 500 words middle and high students. Essays will be judged on the following: ideas, word choice, sentence fluency, voice, conventions, organization and relevance to the essay question. The essay must be the original work of the student. Each entry must include the student’s name, phone number, school, grade and teacher’s name/contact number.

Please send all entries to Mahlía Joyce, Office of Multicultural Services, McDaniel College, 2 College Hill, Westminster, MD 21157-4390.

Essays may also be hand delivered to our office (Lower level of Rouzer Hall : Mon. – Fri. 8:30am-4:30pm). Essay’s can also be delivered to your teacher or guidance counselor.

Winners will be recognized at the formal program on Monday, February 4, 2008. One winner will be selected from the elementary, middle and high school levels.

Sponsored by McDaniel College’s Office of Multicultural Services, Carroll County Public Schools’ Department of Minority Achievement and Intervention Programs and the Carroll County NAACP

20090116 due date 09 CC NAACP MLK writing contest
SDOSM 20090108


Annual Martin Luther King Day, Carroll Co NAACP, Diversity NAACP Carroll Co Chap, NAACP Carroll Co

Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/

Carroll County NAACP Branch 7014 presents the Unification Celebration Ball

Carroll County NAACP Branch 7014 presents the Unification Celebration Ball

Friday, January 23, 2009

Beginning at 7:00 pm at Martin's Westminster

Music by Eric Byrd

Admission: $75.00

This admission fee is NOT tax deductible

For more information call 410-861-7890 or 443-386-7191

There will be dancing, dinner, and open bar for the evening.

Please support this Historical Event and purchase your tickets soon.

We are aware of the fact that times are hard and funds are low, but for the start of a New Year let's to be hopeful and step out and embrace the opportunity for change.

20090107 CCNAACP Branch 7014 presents the Unification Celebration Ball

Kevin Dayhoff E-mail him at: kdayhoff AT carr DOT org His columns appear in The Tentacle, www.thetentacle.com; The Westminster Eagle /Eldersburg Eagle The Sunday Carroll Eagle - Opinion: http://explorecarroll.com/opinion-talk/ www.kevindayhoff.net
http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/ www.westminstermarylandonline.net http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Carroll County History Project

Carroll County History Project

Be a Part of History!
Come to this Unique Premiere

Friday, October 3, 2008 at 6pm
Westminster’s Carroll Arts Center
Refreshments served at 5:30 pm

Learn about the rich history of Carroll County at the unveiling of the three-part Carroll County History Project. Join special guests Dr. Debra Johnson-Ross from McDaniel College, Jean Lewis of the Carroll County NAACP, independent film maker Leo Eaton of Eaton Creative, and independent producer Marilyn Maguire as they introduce the project and make presentations on the importance of capturing oral history.

Watch personal interviews with local residents for a glimpse of life in “the old days” through the Carroll County Remembers Project, a collection of oral histories fashioned after National Public Radio’s StoryCorps. In a similar vein, Carroll County: Through the Eyes of the Black Experience relays personal histories from the perspective of minority residents. Guests will also get a preview of the new documentary Carroll County’s Legacy created by MPT producer Marilyn Maguire.

To reserve your seat for this free event, call (410) 386-4415. The Carroll Arts Center is located at 91 West Main Street in Westminster, Maryland.

The Carroll County History Project was developed by Community Media Center, Carroll County Public Library, Carroll County NAACP, the Human Relations Commission of Carroll County, the Historical Society of Carroll County and the Carroll County Genealogical Society.

Learn more at www.cmcmd.tv

20081003 Carroll County History Project

Monday, January 17, 2005

Remarks at Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration by Allan H. Kittleman January 16, 2005

Remarks at Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration
Allan H. Kittleman
January 16, 2005

Senator Kittleman honors his father, the late Senator Robert Kittleman, in his keynote address at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration.





MLK Jr Day Celebration Remarks

Sunday, January 16, 2005

I want to thank the Martin Luther King, Jr. Howard County Holiday Commission for inviting me to speak this afternoon.   It is a great honor to be with all of you today to celebrate the life of a great American, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

As many of you may know, the Commission was created in 1985 by an Executive Order issued by the County Executive.  This year marks the 20th anniversary of the annual celebration to honor Martin Luther King Jr.  

I especially want to commend the Commission for motivating young people.  During the past four years, over $2,700 has been presented to middle and high school students who were selected as winners for participating in the Martin Luther King, Jr. “Living the Dream Essay” contest.

When I was considering this year’s theme – “A Day to Dream – A Lifetime to Act”, I thought of my father, Bob Kittleman.  As many of you may know, my father passed away on September 11, 2004.  After his death, there were many kind words said about my father.  He would have probably been embarrassed by the attention paid to him.  That was just the kind of person he was.

My family moved to Howard County in the mid-1950s. My father was transferred to this area by Westinghouse. They bought a new home in Allview Estates [just off Route 29]. My father was a strong Republican and he quickly sought to get involved in the Howard County Republican Party. He got the names of two Republican activists in Howard County who lived in the 6th election district [his district] and he went to meet them. Their names were Remus and Leola Dorsey. My father often told me that Remus and Leola Dorsey were the first African Americans that he shook hands with in his life.  He always loved going to see the Dorseys – he especially loved Mrs. Dorsey’s chocolate chip cookies. Mrs. Dorsey is with us this afternoon.

Mrs. Dorsey can correct me if I am wrong, but I believe the conversation went something like this: My father said that he was there to work with the Republican Party and wanted to know if they would help him. Mr. Dorsey responded, yes and we are wondering if you would help us with civil rights issues in Howard County. My father said yes. And a lifetime relationship began.

My father joined the Howard County Branch of the NAACP. He later became the Chairman of the Education Committee. When my parents divorced in the early 1960s, my father got custody of the three children [quite unusual for the time].  He did not stop his work with the NAACP. As you can imagine, at that time in Howard County, it was not the most popular thing for a white person to be an active member of the NAACP.

Although I was fairly young at the time, my father told me that he would receive threats because of his involvement with the NAACP. He told me that he would come home and move my sister’s, my brother’s and my bed away from the windows just in case someone threw something through the window.  There was always a lot of rumors going around the community concerning my father’s activities.  People wondered why so many African Americans were coming to our house.  There were concerns that my father was going to sell our house to an African American.  Can you imagine such a terrible thing?  Despite all this, my father did not stop his efforts.

As the Chair of the Education Committee, he focused on the desegregation of the public schools.  He worked very closely with Silas Craft and Elhart Flurry.  Two of the great “triumvirate” – as my father would call Mr. Craft, Mr. Flurry and Morris Woodson.  All three were great civil rights leaders in Howard County.

My father spent many evenings meeting with school officials in an effort to get them to desegregate the public schools.  He wrote letters to, and met with, the superintendent of schools.  The superintendent and the Board of Education continued to hamper all the efforts to push desegregation.

My father loved to tell the story of when he and Mr. Craft [the President of the Howard County Branch of the NAACP] went to meet with Dr. Edward Cochran.  Dr. Cochran had just been appointed to the Howard County Board of Education.  Prior to that time, the Board of Education had voted consistently 3 to 2 to avoid desegregation.  With Dr. Cochran’s appointment, my father and Mr. Craft thought that there was a real opportunity to get a majority of the Board to push to desegregate the schools.  

They set up an appointment to meet with Dr. Cochran at his home in January.  There happened to be a large snowfall that day and no one in their right mind would have traveled out on the roads.  I recall Dr. Cochran saying that he did not expect them to be able to keep the appointment. 

In the evening, Dr. Cochran heard a knock at the door.  There was Mr. Craft and my father.  They had parked their car at the bottom of Dr. Cochran’s driveway [a fairly long uphill driveway] and walked up to meet with him.  The meeting was historic because Dr. Cochran indeed became the deciding vote to once and for all desegregate the Howard County Public Schools.  

When Mr. Craft resigned from the NAACP to accept employment outside Howard County, my father was appointed to replace him.  Later, when he was asked to run for the position, my father responded that he did not think it was right for a white person to be the President of the Howard County Branch of the NAACP.  To this day, he is the only white person to hold that office.

My father also told me stories of when he would go to a restaurant with his friends and being told to leave because the restaurant would not serve African Americans. 

He told me that lawsuits would be filed against the restaurant and the owner would be forced to serve African Americans.  My father told about one restaurant owner, who told my father and his friends, “I may have to serve you dinner, but I do not have to be in the restaurant when you eat.”  And the owner would leave until they were finished with their dinner.

After his work in the civil rights movement, my father continued to work for what he believed was right by serving in the State Legislature.  He served 19 years in the House of Delegates [becoming the Minority Leader in 1995.  He served 3 years in the State Senate until his death last September.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once stated:

“Cowardice asks the question – is it safe? 

Expediency asks the question – is it politic?
  
Vanity asks the question – is it popular?  

But conscience asks the question – is it right?  

And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe,nor politic, nor popular; but one must take it because it is right.” 

In a 1963 speech, Dr. King also said:

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in the moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”  

My father stood for what was right during the times of challenge and controversy.  He did not ask if it was safe, politic or popular.  He only asked “is this right?”

I was talking with someone the other day about my father’s life.  She told me that she did not know about my father’s involvement in the civil rights movement.  I told her that many, many people came up to me after reading about my father’s life and said that they also did not know about his work in the 1960s.  I told her that the reason people did not know, was because my father didn’t talk about it.  My father saw his work as being the right thing to do.  He didn’t think that he deserved any recognition for doing the right  thing.  He didn’t consider himself a hero.  He considered himself simply a person who wanted to make sure that everyone was treated equally.

My father used his lifetime to make a difference for the good.  The question to us becomes, are we willing to do the same?  As Dr. King said, “Life’s most urgent question is:  What are you doing for others?”

Are we willing to go the route that is not safe, politic or popular?  Are we willing to stand for what is right and just? Are we willing to serve others?
If you think that you are not able to serve – let me close with these words of Dr. King:


“Everybody can be great …. because anybody can serve.  You don’t have to have a college degree to serve.  You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve.  You only need a heart full of grace.  A soul generated by love.”

20050116 Remarks at MLK Jr Celebration kittleman

*****