King holiday recognizes shared vision of patriotic people

  • Published
  • By Chaplain (Maj.) William W. Cooper, Jr.
  • 436 Airlift Wing
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  In June 1998, I had just completed theology school at Emory University in Atlanta and was about to complete my third and final tour as an Air Force chaplain candidate. Little did I know I was about to begin one of the most important lessons of my life.
A classmate told me he knew of a small apartment that was available near downtown Atlanta, so I called the landlord to inquire. After looking at the apartment and agreeing to the terms, I decided to move in.
My new address would be on Auburn Avenue. The small shotgun-styled apartment was only yards away from the birthplace of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and The King Center, a center for the study of civil rights issues and conflicts. After completing the chaplain candidacy program, I joined the Air Force Reserve and moved to the Auburn Avenue apartment.

As a resident of Dr. King's old neighborhood, I could literally stand on my porch and see his old home and Ebenezer Baptist Church, which he attended as a child.

Much of Dr. King's old neighborhood is actually a national park now and maintained by the federal government. One part of the restored neighborhood was so well maintained that sometimes I would look out and my imagination could take me back to the era when Dr. King walked those streets. Often there would be literally thousands of visitors from different cultural backgrounds and geographic locations coming to see Dr. King's birthplace and to learn more about his life and the philosophy that he embraced. I can also recall a number of occasions observing celebrities visiting the King home and center.

One day I noticed a famous television and film star in front of my apartment and struck up a conversation with him. He seemed fascinated to know that, along with a few others, I actually lived in the old homes near Dr. King's birth home. There were also very important events, such as the national King Commemoration Service or the funeral of a civil rights leader that brought the influential and the unknown together, demonstrating their ability to cooperate and collaborate.

When Hosea Williams, one of Dr. King's top aides, passed away in 2000, I attended his funeral. Several famous entertainers and activists spoke during the service, which was held at the Ebenezer church. They emphasized Dr. King's vision of cooperation among people of different racial backgrounds and economic conditions, which Mr. Williams had fostered in the years after Dr. King's death. A decorated veteran of World War II, Mr. Williams was inspired to join the civil rights movement by Dr. King. Born into poverty, Mr. Williams became an advocate and friend to the poor, particularly the homeless, for decades. His organization provided meals to thousands of needy Atlanta residents each year during the holiday seasons. When the funeral service ended, a horse and carriage carried Mr. William's body down Auburn Avenue. The procession was followed by Rev. Jesse Jackson, Mr. William's family and hundreds of people, many of whom Mr. Williams had helped in some way.

My experience on Auburn Avenue helped me to see first-hand the importance of diversity and to realize that people from totally different walks of life can truly come together and learn from one another. I also developed a new appreciation for serving others and how service makes America better. Most importantly, I realized many people share Dr. King's vision of equality and cooperation. A quote from a list that author Loette Hoskins compiled in 1968 from Dr. King's speeches sums it up: "In the final analysis, all men are interdependent and are thereby involved in a single process. We are inevitably our brother's keeper because of the interrelated structure of reality."

Dr. King was an eloquent speaker and gifted leader who spoke for patriotic people working together to create a better America.

A commemoration service in Dr. King's memory will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2010, at the base chapel. The theme for this year's commemoration service is "A Day on....Not a Day off....Passing on the dream to the next generation." The program will include music by the Welch Elementary School Chorus and a dramatic rendition of Dr. King's "I have a Dream Speech" by the Dover Air Force Base Middle School. The Chapel staff also has a special presentation. For more information, call Mrs. Kelley at 677-3743 or Mrs. Gaither at 677-3905.