Dr. King’s Legacy of Leadership & Perseverance

To the Editor:

Had he lived, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would have been 95 years old on January 15th (1/15/29-4/4/68). He was a great leader, husband, father, scholar, orator and negotiator.

Dr. King followed in the footsteps of his grandfather and father in the family’s long tenure as pastors of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. He attended segregated public schools in Georgia, graduating from high school at 15, received the BA degree in 1948 from Morehouse College, and a graduate studies degree at Boston University in 1955. In Boston, he met and married Coretta Scott. They raised four children.

In 1954, King became pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. As a leader in the NAACP, he led the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which lasted 382 days. On 12/21/56, the Supreme Court declared that Negroes and whites could ride the buses as equals. During these days of boycott, King was arrested, his home was bombed, he was subjected to personal abuse. Nevertheless, he emerged as a respected Black leader.

In 1957, King was elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, formed to provide new leadership for the civil rights movement. He took the ideals for this organization from Christianity; its operational techniques from Gandhi. He also wrote five books and numerous articles. King led a massive protest in Birmingham, Alabama, which inspired his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” stating that freedom, justice and equality could not wait.

Dr. King advocated for freedom, justice and equality, which is outlined in his “I have a Dream” speech at the

8/28/63 March on Washington. On 4/4/68 in Memphis, Tennessee, King was assassinated when fighting for better working conditions for 1,300 African-American sanitation workers, as part of his Poor People’s Campaign. Dr. King leaves a legacy of leadership and perseverance. Please teach your children and grandchildren about this great prophet. With the powers that be attempting to eliminate the history of people of color and rejecting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, concerned folks must endeavor to teach our families, friends and acquaintances about the achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

—Francine Reva Jones

BY P.M. CAMPBELL

With thousands of residents from all across the globe, Co-op City is home to artists of all kinds. Shareholders have written books, performed poetry, directed films, created murals, and they all deserve a spotlight. The column, “Co-op City Creatives,” serves not only to analyze shareholders’ art from Sections 1-5, but to also take a deep dive on what makes that artist unique. If you consider yourself an artist, regardless of age, medium, or education, send your work to cctimes@riverbaycorp.com with the subject “Co-op Creatives” and include your phone number so you’ll have the chance to be interviewed and your work displayed in the Co-op City Times.

Co-op City Times

Co-op City’s official newspaper serving the world’s largest cooperative community.

(718) 320-3300, ext. 3375 cctimes@riverbaycorp.com

Rozaan Boone

Editor-in-Chief

Jennifer Piovanetti Operations Manager

Ralph Henriquez Production Manager

John Crow

New Media Producer

The Co-op City Times welcomes issue-oriented letters to the editor to be considered for publication. All letters, in prose, not poetry, must be addressed to the editor, not to third parties. All letters must be signed by the writer and include their address and phone number, which will be kept confidential, so that the editor can verify the authenticity of the author.

Writers will be limited to one letter per topic. Anonymous or unsigned letters will not be accepted for publication. Letters cannot exceed 350 words. Ideally, they should be typed. All letters must be submitted to the Co-op City Times by 3 p.m. Monday to be considered for publication in that week’s edition. Email cctimes@ riverbaycorp.com or mail to 2049 Bartow Ave., Room 21, Bronx, NY 10475.

Views and opinions expressed in letters and Directors’ Viewpoint are solely the writer’s, and not necessarily shared by the Co-op City Times or Riverbay Corp. Advertisements and classified advertisements in the Co-op City Times do not necessarily reflect an endorsement from Riverbay Corp. of goods and services, but present greater options to cooperators of products and services available.

The Riverbay Corporation does not assume any responsibility nor is it a party to any contract or agreement between the cooperator and the vendor.

All matter published herein is copyrighted by the Co-op City Times. Permission for reprints of advertising or editorial contents produced by the Co-op City Times must be obtained in writing from Riverbay Corporation, 2049 Bartow Ave., Bronx, New York 10475.

We welcome letters to the editor, only from Co-op City shareholders, at cctimes@riverbaycorp.com

Letters should address issues of interest to the Co-op City community. Comments should be fact-based and responsible. Letters should not personally attack others and must be written in a respectful manner.

Only signed letters will be considered for publication. The Co-op City Times does not publish anonymous material.

Submissions must include the writer’s address and phone number – which will be kept confidential –so authenticity and residency of the writer can be verified.

Thank you for your cooperation.