Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration held in Seaford

The theme of this year’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration, which took place on Monday at St. John’s UM Church was Mission Possible II: Building Community, Uniting a Nation the Nonviolent Way. Elder Tyrone Johnson, Sr. drove home the theme with his message at the end of the three hour event, but it was the kids who performed at the event who stole the show.

Johnson, who lives in Wilmington, is also a Civil Rights activist and U.S. army veteran. Before speaking, he asked the oldest person in the room, Mabel Hopkins, for permission to speak.

“Today we have been assembled on Martin Luther King Day to take over the torch,” said Johnson. “We must understand that the war that Dr. King was waging was for human rights. You are at war with the beast. You are at war with evil and you don’t know how to fight. You can only fight the beast with the name of Jesus.”

He has a night club in North Carolina and was on the radio when he was given drugs. He used drugs for 25 years before seeking treatment.

“I thought they were turning me on and they turned on me,” Johnson said. “You’ve got to love on those closest to you. Sometimes we suffer in silence.”

Pastor Josh Berry, St. John’s lead pastor, led prayer at the beginning of the event while Pastor Isaiah Kilgoe-Felder sang and performed with a band. Pastor Donnie Hopkins of Mt. Zion in Seaford and Todd’s Chapel in Greenwood met event organizer Pat Jones in October when he sold her string beans at his farm. “God does amazing things each and every day,” Hopkins said.

“Do you have a relationship with something that you can’t talk to? Can you have a relationship with someone you can’t speak to?”, he asked after sharing a story about coming across a Snow White pigeon dove in his vegetable field that didn’t fly away for 10 days.

“It’s amazing what God can do with us with a willing and surrendering heart. I’ve experienced God in so many different ways,” said Hopkins.

Following the opening ceremony by Jones and a workout led by Ash the Fitness Rebel, Little Miss AFRAM 2024 Bryana Harris (10), Little Miss AFRAM 2025 Makayla Harris (6) and their sister Kylar, 3, sang “Lift Every Voice” and led the National Anthem.

Miss Corporate America Salisbury Jennifer Dickerson spoke before introducing her performing arts group Heart and Sole which included a step team.

Delmar junior Jahzara Reid-Cuffee, 16, gave a presentation on Black inventions. Among the contributions cited are: laser eye surgery, making personal computers affordable, portable refrigeration units for trucks, 3-D and medical imaging, ice cream scoop, super soaker, household cleaning, home security, and agriculture.

My’Keal Bowers, 14, a student at the Academy of Dover Charter School performed praise dance ministry. Prior to Johnson’s speech, students who participated in the Culture Club held signs they made and marched around the room singing “We Shall Overcome”.