Mike Wolanin | The Republic Columbus City Councilman Jerone Wood speaks at the annual CommUNITY Breakfast celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Martin Luther King Jr. Day at The Commons in Columbus, Ind., Monday, Jan. 15, 2024.
For years, Jerone Wood’s message was a silent one — as a mime at the annual Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Day CommUNITY Breakfasts.
Monday at The Commons, Columbus’ first Black city councilman — and a former kid attending the celebration since the age 0f 8 — was the keynote speaker at the event. And he loudly delivered encouragement on the program’s theme “It Starts With Me: Shift the Culture, Be the Solution.”
King was a Baptist preacher and a national civil rights leader from the 1950s to 1968 when he was assassinated.
“When you look back at the life of Martin Luther King, it’s very evident that he embodied the theme or the phrase, ‘It Starts With Me.’ Here are just a few examples of how MLK embodied that phrase.
“By the age of 15, he had already graduated high school. By the age of 19, he had already graduated college. By the age of 26, he had already received his doctorate degree.”
Wood is only 35 years old — still relatively young for such a responsible, elected leadership post in Columbus. King was only 34 when he gave his famous “I Have Dream” speech before an estimated 250,000 people.
“It doesn’t matter your race, your age, or your educational background,” Wood said. “None of that matters. What matters is your belief in yourself and the courage to step out of your comfort zone and get things done. I heard a wise man once say that you have to learn to get comfortable being uncomfortable,” he said.
“For that is where change occurs.”
Wood also mentioned that he grew accustomed long ago to being “the only Black person in the room” much of his life. To highlight that, he closed his speech by reading a poem titled “Token Negro.”
The gathering, with a crowd slightly smaller than last year’s estimated 350 people amid bitterly cold, single-digit temperatures, attracted more than 300 people representing leaders in government, business, nonprofits, education, houses of worship, law enforcement, and more. The local African American Pastors Alliance, seen as influencers in everything from education to media, organized the event with funding from business and corporate sponsors.
Mayor Mary Ferdon spoke of King’s success in ushering change, and the long way still to go toward equality. She referenced the documentary film “1968: The Year That Shaped a Generation” that she once used when she taught a local college political science class.
“It’s now 55 years later,” Ferdon said. “Unfortunately, Americans’ ideals have always been greater than reality, and we still have a world with civil and societal injustice.”
She understands efforts to help the struggling.
Ferdon’s background includes leading the VIMCare Clinic locally for medically uninsured or under-insured several years ago. Plus, she and husband Steve remain a part of a Christian ministry to help the marginalized with home refurbishment.
Jim Roberts, superintendent of Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp., regularly has expressed admiration for King’s nonviolent ways. At the breakfast, he mentioned recently reading the book “The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens” by Richard Haass.2 As and 2 Ss
In part, the book includes a hard look at the Declaration of Independence, and the importance of citizens’ involvement in triggering change to allow all others an equal pursuit of happiness.
“There is a gap between those words (of independence) and reality, including our treatment of Native Americans, the institution of slavery, and the status of women,” Roberts said. “We have yet to adequately deal with discrimination based on race, gender, religion, country of origin.
“Equal opportunity for many has been a hope rather than a reality.”
The program also included remarks from Bishop Johnnie Edwards, president of the Columbus/Bartholomew County Area Chapter of the NAACP. Edwards reminded his audience that the organization standing for the rights of all was launched partly by a white progressives originally to protect the rights of Blacks. He encouraged people to become a member or to renew membership.
The NAACP was among the entities that joined the fight to make the King day a school holiday locally. He reminded listeners at act for the good of others.
“Our actions (on justice),” Edwards said, “speak louder than our words.”
Upcoming coverage:
— A story on the Beloved Community award
— Students receiving scholarships
— Coverage of the MLK Day of Service
