A melting pot of community leaders, citizens and students from all walks of live honored the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Monday night in the Morse Events Center at Northwest Christian College.
Stedman Graham, a best-selling author and chairman and chief executive officer of S. Graham and Associates, a management and marketing consulting firm that serves the corporate and education markets, was the night’s keynote speaker with his presentation of “Unfinished Business: America’s Commitment to Social Justice.”
Graham’s speech was outlined by his nine-step empowerment philosophy, featured in his book, “You Can Make It Happen: A Nine-Step Plan for Success,” which was a New York Times bestseller.
Graham spoke on finding freedom from the pre-programmed definitions the world gives each person by being true and thinking for oneself.
“Do you know what power is?” he asked the crowd. “Power is being the same person whether you’re talking to the president of the United States or a homeless person on the street.”
Graham incorporated his life partner, talk show host Oprah Winfrey, into his speech.
“You guys are listening now aren’t you,” he joked with the crowd after mentioning Winfrey’s name.
“I once asked Oprah, ‘What makes you so dynamic?’” he said. “And she answered, ‘Because I have a positive attitude.’”
The celebration was the twentieth one the Lane County Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee has put on.
An invocation opened the program, followed by the first of many performances by the Jubilee World Outreach Choir. The crowd joined in by singing and clapping along, and many stood and danced to the gospel songs.
A number of community awards in the name of King were given to social activists of Lane County. Carmen Gelman was honored with the Pearl M. Hill Award, given by the county King celebration committee. Gelman moved from Los Angeles to the Eugene area in the early ’90s, where she lived in a shelter with her three children. She overcame a history of living in impoverished slums and abusive relationships to earn a graduate degree from the University and is now assistant principal of Springfield High School.
“You go, girl!” was shouted by a crowd member during the presentation, which included three standing ovations.
“I am humbled and blessed for receiving this award and to celebrate such a beautiful day,” Gelman said to the crowd. She thanked all the people who have been by her side over the years and recited the words of King: “We cannot walk alone.”
Graham ended his speech by quoting King.
“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets like Michelangelo painted or like Shakespeare wrote poetry,” he said. “He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause and say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.’”
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Celebrating a legacy of freedom
Daily Emerald
January 16, 2006
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