by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Annual breakfast pushes King’s vision
A huge crowd of nearly 1,300 packed the Osborn Center Friday morning for the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce’s 23rd Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast.
The cold temperatures outside were offset by the goodwill inside. Keynote speaker and local author Rodney Hurst talked about the atmosphere in Jacksonville 50 years ago when racial tensions were high and how far the city has come since.
His book is called “It was Never About a Hot Dog and a Coke” and focuses on the 1960 sit-in demonstration and an event that became known as “Ax Handle Saturday.” Hurst — a former two-term City Council member — and others talked about the affect that day had on the city of Jacksonville, how far race relations have come and the issues of today.
“We are all trying to make a difference at it relates to the contributions Dr. King made,” said Isaiah Rumlin, president of the local chapter of the NAACP. “Fifty years ago that day in Jacksonville was a very ugly day.”
Rumlin mentioned the progress that has been made in regards to women, African-Americans and Latinos in the Jacksonville area.
“They have been elected to City Council, School Board, the State House and Senate, the United States Congress and even now we have seen the first African-American president of the United States,” said Rumlin. “Great strides have been made. However, we have a great deal of work ahead of us.”
Mayor John Peyton said one of the keys to improving Jacksonville as a city, regardless of race, is to address problems early and he believes mentoring students is paramount to success.
“This has become an amazing Jacksonville tradition. It gives us time to reflect on the progress made and pay tribute to the man who made great contributions to society,” said Peyton. “We have made tremendous progress, but we are digging out of a very deep hole. That is the challenge.”
Peyton said mentoring students early on will provide students a role model outside of the home and give them another adult to offer guidance. He directed everyone to the City’s Web site if they are interested in serving as a mentor.
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