‘The Dream Will Not Die’: Theme of Monday’s MLK celebration rings truer than ever, says Morristown’s Felicia Jamison

rev carolyn ann knight
The Rev. Carolyn Ann Knight, guest preacher at Jan. 17 Martin Luther King Day observance at Morristown's Calvary Baptist Church.
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What would the Rev. Martin Luther King think of 21st century America, had he lived to see his 82nd birthday?

rev carolyn ann knight
The Rev. Carolyn Ann Knight, guest preacher at Jan. 17 Martin Luther King Day observance at Morristown's Calvary Baptist Church.

“I would think he would say we’ve come a long way, yet have a long way to go,” said Felicia Jamison, chairperson of Morristown’s Martin Luther King Jr. Observance Committee.

On Monday, Jan. 17, Dr. King’s birth will be commemorated at the 26th annual Interfaith Breakfast, at the Hyatt Morristown.

That will be followed by a noontime service at Calvary Baptist Church, the 41st such service honoring the slain civil rights leader.

The Rev. Janet Broderick, rector of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, will be the featured speaker at the breakfast, which is co-sponsored by the Morristown Area Clergy Council. Rexx and Lynn Hill of Calvary Baptist Church will lead guests in song.

Tickets for the breakfast are $20 and should be purchased from area churches, Felicia said.

At the noon service, the Rev. Sidney Williams Jr., new pastor of the Bethel AME Church, will introduce the guest preacher, the Rev. Carolyn Ann Knight of Smyrna, Ga. A reception will follow the 90-minute service.

Felicia has chaired the Martin Luther King Jr. Observance Committee since its inception. She proudly notes that it predates state and national holidays honoring Dr. King. This year’s theme, “The Dream Will Not Die,” strikes her as especially relevant.

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The Rev. Janet Broderick of St. Peter's Episcopal Church will address the Interfaith Breakfast on Martin Luther King Day.

“In this climate we’re living in now, the dream is more important than ever,” she said.

Dr. King’s “goal was to form a beloved community, where people of all races and creeds could work together, where dignity and the love of every individual is cherished.”

The election of a black man to the White House shows progress, Felicia said.

But there is more to be done, she said.

“You have your mountaintop experience, and your valleys. That’s what life is all about. But you keep the faith and keep going,” said Felicia, who is active in Calvary Baptist Church.

“You have to keep hope alive. There’s still room for improvement.”

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