Today millions of people across the country pause to reflect and celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King’s dream is still live and very relevant today amongst some of Mississippi’s most promising young professionals.
KIM ROBINSON is the Program Associate for Youth Programs for the Southern Regional Office of the Children’s Defense
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,"--- Dr. King.
Fund (CDF). Through her work with CDF’s Healthy Child Campaign she has urged a large number of community partners and citizens to join CDF’s Healthy Child Campaign and endorse H.R. 1688, the All Healthy Children Act, legislation introduced by the organization in 2007. Most recently, Kim served as lead for a pilot afterschool program modeled after CDF Freedom Schools where high performing 11th and 12th grade high school students work with 250 K-6 students to deliver an Integrated Reading Curriculum (IRC) and remediation in Math and Science for the Indianola School District in Indianola, MS.
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” This Dr. Martin Luther King quote is one that I hold close while working daily to ensure all children a safe passage to adulthood. Lack of access to adequate education, healthcare, better jobs and communities are all injustices in today’s society. I plan to change these and restore basic human rights as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in my lifetime. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy gives me the hope and right to believe in that dream.”
"All men are brothers because they are children of a common father,"---Dr. King.
PASTOR C. EDWARD RHODES, II is the youngest pastor in the 177 year history of Mt. Helm Missionary Baptist Church. During his college years, Pastor Rhodes served in local Baptist and nondenominational churches and led campus ministries. Though beginning his studies in International Studies, he graduated in 2004 with a BA in Philosophy. In 2009 Pastor Rhodes graduated from the prestigious Divinity School at Duke University with his Masters of Divinity (MDiv) as a Dean’s Scholar and Fund for Theological Education Ministry Fellow. He was ordained in 2009 by Rev. Dr. Maurice Wallace, pastor of Cornerstone Church. Pastor Rhodes currently serves on the board of the Urban League of Greater Jackson, is a member of the National YALT Advisory Committee and is the president of the Farish St./Main St. Project. Innovative and visionary, Pastor Rhodes is one of this nation’s emerging transformative leaders.
“Dr. King has impacted my life since my youth. Maybe the most powerful example of his impact on my life comes from high school. My oral communication/drama teacher insisted that I do one of his speeches for a black history month program. I resisted out of fear, shyness, but she demanded that I do it. I had no choice. After listening to a tape cassette of selected speeches and sermons, I decided to put together a part of his “Drum Major Instinct” and “Mountaintop” sermons. I delivered it, though with fear and trembling, and was afterwards told by many teachers (old enough to remember King) that when they closed their eyes they imagined King was standing in the room speaking to them. Ever since, through speaking opportunities at schools and churches and later following my call to ministry, I’ve sensed that my life emulates his. My ministry is in many ways shaped by his prophetic Christian vision.”
"The world in which we live is geographically one. The challenge that we face today is to make it one in terms of brotherhood,"---Dr. King.
NOEL DIDLA is an Instructor of English at Jackson State University(JSU) and is from Guntur, India. She currently serves on the boards of Crossroads Film Society and Jackson 2000. Noel is passionate about globalizing the cultural scene in Jackson through organizing fashion, film, food, music, dance, and art festivals. Noel loves Jackson and is actively involved with Urban League of Greater Jackson, Center for Social Entrepreneurship, and International Week at JSU. Noel believes that cultural exchange and understanding empowers, enriches and engages communities.
“I am a Dalit Christian who grew up in India. Studying the Gandhian Movement and the Civil Rights Movement profoundly impacted my understanding of race, religion, equality, justice and solidarity. Gandhi, Dr.King and Mandela individually and ideologically( during various times in history) have shown how peace, understanding and non-violence can resolve conflict, strife, inequality and injustice in spite of the geographical and cultural diversity. As an instructor, I’m accountable to impart that global knowledge to my students and empower them to believe in the universal appeal of peace, non-violence and universal brotherhood, which embody Dr.King’s legacy to me, to them and all else that believe in the dream.”
"God never intended for one group of people to live superfluous inordinate wealth, while others live in abject deadening poverty,"---Dr. King.
DIVAS 4 CHARITY began when two cousins came up with an idea to solicit donations of high fashion clothing & accessories and sell them for charity. “The Diva Sale” only started as an event, but that day Divas 4 Charity was born. The specific objectives and purposes of Divas 4 Charity is for charitable and educational purposes for children, women, elderly, and families in poverty stricken areas within Metro Jackson and the surrounding areas. Divas 4 Charity utilizes their non-profit status to secure funding resources to promote programming that focuses on health, wellness and fitness, goods and services, education and mentoring and poverty.
“Dr. Kings legacy has influenced this organization to use its voice to speak for the needs of the oppressed, all of mankind. Everybody needs help sometime, that’s just the way God made it. That’s why we’re here. Dr. King was a great man, a great leader. He left love and wisdom that all people will learn from until the end of time. Divas 4 Charity will continue to follow the legacy of Dr. King and reach out to all we can.”
