ANSONIA – The community gathered in song and praise Monday (Jan. 19) for the annual ceremony celebrating the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.
About 100 people filled the auditorium of Ansonia High School to honor the influential civil rights leader who would’ve turned 97 years old on Jan. 15 had it not been for an assassin’s bullet that cut his life short at age 39 in 1968.
The nearly two-hour ceremony honoring King’s life featured songs by the Macedonia Baptist Church choir, along with speeches and essays from Ansonia students about what King means to them.
“At my school, I try to follow Dr. King’s example by being kind to my classmates, helping others and standing up for people who may feel left out,” said Mead School third grader Jewel Lewis. “Dr. King had a dream that children would grow up in a world filled with fairness and unity. Today, we can help keep his dream alive by choosing kindness everyday – at school, at home and everywhere we go. If we all choose love, stand up for what is right and treat each other with kindness, we can be the dream Dr. King believed in.”
Nigel Ingram, Jr., a fourth grader at Mead School, said his first friend in school was white.
“Raise your hand if you have a friend or family member who’s a different color than you?” Nigel asked the audience.
With pretty much the entire audience’s hands raising in unison, Nigel’s smile grew wider.
“See, Dr. King’s dream did come true,” he said.
Ansonia Public Schools Superintendent Joe DiBacco said the district requires all students, before they can graduate, to complete a community service project on King’s behalf.
While King prevailed in ending racial segregation in the 1960s, his mission to bring about racial and economic equality and put an end to discrimination to this day has not been fully realized.
But according to resident Shawn Venson, who served as master of ceremonies for the event, it’s little things in life that people in the community can do each day to make the community better and make King proud.
“Come volunteer, come help somebody out, come do something,” Venson encouraged the audience. “How about instead of spending an hour and half on Facebook complaining about things, go to city hall or one of the schools and volunteer your time. This celebration to honor Dr. King today is not going to change the world, but every little thing we do in our community to make it better, helps.”
Mayor Frank Tyszka, who was introduced by his childhood friend and former state Sen. Gary Hale, presided over his first MLK celebration since becoming mayor last November.
He said he was proud to see the Board of Aldermen in good hands, especially with the likes of two young black residents Jacquelyn Daniels and Jaylen Daniels, in attendance at Monday’s event, serving their city. Tyszka said Ansonia will always be a city that welcomes all.
“These guys and girls are the future of Ansonia, and they care about the town just as much as I do, and we are all working together as a team,” Tyszka said.