Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial -
A Time to Honor His Legacy

OVEC board member Jeff Bosley and his wife, Victoria, huddled in expectation of the march. Huntington’s Mayor David Felinton and his lady friend were on hand. Dave McGee, a well-known anti-war activist in Huntington, carried a sign that quoted Dr. King: "In the wasteland of war, the expenditure of resources knows no restraints; here our abundance is fully recognized and squandered."

Folks gathered behind a Huntington trolley waiting for the march to begin while song sheets were distributed to participants. Sylvia Ridgeway, current president of the Huntington-Cabell branch of the NAACP, welcomed and instructed the marchers.

OVEC board member, Jeff Bosley and his wife, Victoria, huddled in expectation of the Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial March.

For the past several years, OVEC board, staff and members have participated in events in Huntington, WV, to honor the legacy of the great leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Holding with this new tradition, we gathered with 50-60 other people who braved the cold weather – people of color and whites expressing their unity. On Monday, Jan. 19th, to honor Dr. King’s memory, we began by marching from First Baptist Church on Sixth Avenue and Eighth Street in Huntington, headed for the Sixteenth Street Missionary Baptist Church where we would continue the celebration at the 11th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Symposium Memorial Service.

The church was jammed by people who turned out to listen to a speech by the internationally renowned preacher Dr. Calvin O. Butts III, pastor of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York City, the leader of many national organizations, including chairman of the National Affiliate Development Initiative of the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS.

As the pews filled up, I spotted other familiar OVEC faces: Abe Mwaura, Winnie Fox, Elinore Taylor, Nancy Taylor, David Duke, Marty Amerikaner and Linda Spatig. Dr. Butts assailed that greed throughout the nation is keeping people from living peacefully side by side.

A news story the next day in the Huntington Herald-Dispatch quoted Abe as saying: "People need to follow in King’s footsteps and be active in their communities to combat this greed. It is important for normal people to fill leadership roles. Martin Luther King was a mere preacher, a preacher’s son at that, and ended up taking a significant leadership role."

Spoken like a true leader, Abe.