A Message from Dr. King

Part 1 of a 2-Part Series

As a graduate of Morehouse College, Dr. King’s alma mater, I have been exposed to speeches, writing and scholarly discussions regarding his philosophy, teachings, impact, life, and death. Having said that, I do not pretend to be an expert. If I am not an expert, why am I writing this article? I am writing this article because, in my opinion, we have limited our understanding of Dr. King and his speeches to a select few quotes and speeches. Mainly to this section of the 1963 ‘I Have A Dream Speech.’

“… when we let it (freedom) ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

Unfortunately, many of us have only been exposed to that short segment of this insightful, inspiring, and motivational speech. Within that same speech, Dr. King also within one section stated:

“In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, Black men as well as White men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

"It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds. But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So, we have come to cash this check — a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.”

In another section Dr. King stated:

“I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality.”

I can only ask in 2023, what happen? As I read this speech again, his eloquent words still hold true today, especially “staggered by the winds of police brutality.” Well, what are we going to do about it? Dr. King in some of his later speeches gave us a blueprint.

Dr. King, on October 26, 1967, six months before he was assassinated, spoke to a group of students at Barratt Junior High School in Philadelphia. The speech was tilted “What Is Your Life's Blueprint?”It cannot be more straight forward than that. We need a life blueprint! (Next Week: Conclusion)

BLACK HISTORY/ROSEWOOD continued from page 3 com documents: “The mob brutally tortured and lynched Sam Carter, and also tried to lynch Aaron Carrier, who was dragged behind a car and left for dead. No one was immune to their rage. With a houseful of terrified children huddling inside, prominent. Rosewood resident Sarah Carrrier was gunned down on her doorstep, and when her son Sylvester fought back, killing two White men, he was murdered as well.”

According to The Equal Justice Initiatiave, up to 80 people were killed in the massacre. No one was ever punished or prosecuted for the killings, the burning of the town or theft of the Black residents possessions.

It's a NEW DAY for the Buffalo Public Schools

OnTuesday, January 3, 2023, Ferry District Board Member, Sharon Belton-Cottman was nominated and unanimously voted in as the President of the Buffalo Board of Education during the Board’s re-organization meeting which was held at the Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts School. Belton-Cottman previously served two terms as Board President from July 1, 2019, to July 1, 2021. She will be the first president to start her term in January due to New York's decision to move school board elections to coincide with political elections. Belton-Cottman has served as Ferry District Representative since the spring of 2011. Other boards members that were elected for office positions include Dr. Kathy Evans-Brown and Mr. Lawrence Scott. Dr. Evans-Brown, East District Board Member was nominated and unanimously voted in as the Vice President of Executive Affairs for a one-year term, and Mr. Scott, Board Member at Large, was nominated and unanimously voted in as the Vice President of Student Achievement for a one-year term.

During the November 2022 election, two new board members were elected. The newly elected board members are Mrs. Theresa Schuta, the retired Principal of South Park High School, who now represents the Park District and Ms. Cindi M. McEachon, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Peaceprints of WNY, who now represents the North District. These two new school board members were sworn in on Tuesday 1/3/23. Schuta and McEachon's terms as Board of Education Members began immediately following their taking Oath of Office. Belton-Cottman expressed that she is "confident that they will be great additions to the board." Their professional experiences will be a huge asset which will allow them to transition smoothly. Current board members who won reelection to office and who were also sworn in include: Central District Board Member, Ms. Paulette Woods, West District Board Member, Ms. Jennifer Mecozzi, and East District Board Member, Dr. Kathy Evans-Brown. The meeting was well attended by many staff members, community leaders, clergy, and family members of the sworn in Board Members.

Dr. Tonja Williams, the Superintendent of the Buffalo Public Schools shared that, "with a well-focused board, who are all working to ensure that all of the children in the Buffalo Public Schools have unyielding access to a first in class, excellent education every school day, there will surely be academic gains." As the new president of the board, Sharon Belton-Cottman is determined to focus on school safety and will work with all to turn the Buffalo Public School into a high-performing, model school district." It is a new day in the Buffalo Public Schools.