MIAMI – Miami Dade County Mayor Danielle Levine Cava, Miami Dade County Commissioner Keon Hardemon, the City of Miami Commission Chairwoman Christine King, Judge Gordon Murray, Judge Lizzette Martinez, and community leaders along with the Martin Luther King Economic Development Corporation (MLKEDC) participated in the 18th annual Reclaim the Dream Candlelight Memorial Service and Gospel Concert that marked the 55th Anniversary of Dr. King’s assassination. Kalyn James and David Chiverton hosted the program. The night’s tone was one of hope, inspiration, and recommitment to continue to do the work that highlights the work of Dr. King.
Community Impact
“Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination 55 years later still impacts our community. This event sets a moment for us to recommit ourselves to working on civil rights issues with the blueprint of nonviolence to promote change as we reimagine our communities”, says Christine King, first Chairwoman of the City of Miami Board of Commissioners and District-5 Commissioner.
Bringing the Community Together
“Dr. King called for nonviolence to bring about change against unjust and immoral laws in situations of segregation and discrimination. This message continues to resonate in our communities and the world today. For 18 years, our annual The Reclaim the Dream commemoration event has been committed to bringing our community together to honor his life and legacy”, says MLKEDC President Amina McNeil.
Highlights from the event included a candlelight presentation with audience participation and a rendition of “This Little of Mine” sung by Martha Whisby, accompanied by Gospel singer Martin Luther Wardlaw on piano, decorated the auditorium with a prayer of remembrance by Pastor Gaston Smith. In addition, the audience was brought to tears by Elder Ronald Chandler, who presented excerpts of Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
Miami -Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava encouraged everyone to keep on the fight, never to forget and reminded everyone that we have more work to do. But, she said the audience gave her hope.
“The 55th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. King should inspire us to recommit ourselves to his legacy of non-violent action for a safer and more equitable community for everyone”, says Keon Hardemon, Miami-Dade County Commissioner-District-3.
Do Not Forget Our History
Billy Hardemon, Chairman of MLKEDC, gave a powerful speech about celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. on his assassination date because its history, and we should not forget history. Chairwoman Christine King touched on the arrest and the indictment of Donald Trump. Stating that “he has taken us so far back and that…our voice is our vote.”
Gospel Concert
The gospel concert was kicked off by the Gospel Choice Music Awards nominee for Contemporary Christian Artist of the Year, performing artist Lisa Powell. Then, grammy-nominated, Stellar, GMWA Excellence, and Vision award-winning gospel artist Reverend Luther Barnes brought everyone to their feet with his song “You Keep on Blessing Me.”
The show closed out with a powerful performance by multi-stellar, Billboard, Dove, and Grammy award-winning gospel artist Tasha Cobbs-Leonard, known for her single “Break Every Chain,” which catapulted her to the top of the charts in the gospel music industry in 2013. The audience enjoyed the performance between dancing, clapping, and singing.
Reclaim The Dream
Reclaim The Dream is a campaign to revitalize MLK Boulevard and the surrounding community and develop and advance education in Miami, Florida. National statistics show that throughout the United States, streets named in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. are in communities plagued with poverty and suffer the ancillary effects, such as blight, high unemployment, crime, poor performing schools, and apathy. April 4 is the 55th anniversary of the assignation of Dr. King, and your commitment to our community on this historical date is essential to help us commemorate the life and works of Dr. King and “Reclaim the Dream.”
