During MLK Day this year, the MSR was once again out in the community, including KMOJ’s 10th Annual Soul Bowl fundraiser. We asked community members the question: How are you keeping King’s dream alive? See their answers below.
Anthony Johnson
I’m going to be getting out in the community more and supporting all our local businesses. I’m going to be sharing [King’s dream] with my grandbabies so they can continue that legacy and make sure everybody gets along. There’s solidarity in the community and there are also good things going on in the community.
I know we have a lot going on that brings people down, but this [Soul Bowl event] is one of the things I look forward to that makes everybody happy and come together. Just love on one another, and if you got family out there, make sure that you’re checking up on them ’cause life is just too short. So just love everybody. That’s my motto.
JeTaun Smith
Recently, I went on strike with Minneapolis Public Schools for 14 days for safe and stable schools and equal pay.
Patrick Adams
Promoting equity and inclusion in the workplace where I work—I’m a manager out at Paisley Park. That is one of my biggest goals, as well as promoting equality and spirituality through music.
It’s time for all of us to band together and promote peace and prosperity amongst each other to be able to come together as adults in this community and foster good environments for our children. Promote positive energy and show them a better way than to be out in these streets.
Show them the importance of family, and togetherness in our community. That’s what it’s all about.
[I came out to Soul Bowl] to spend time with my brothers and sisters on this glorious day and to remember the struggle that Dr. Martin Luther King went through and that it continues, and we still need to band together for change.
Leila French
That’s a hard question. I’ve been staying on the side of right and fighting through life. I know that King was a very good leader and high school just taught the basics about him. But college taught me that he was really trying to put his word out that our lives matter and that we as Black people need to stand up and make sure we know what we’re doing. We need to stay on track and keep on going in our movement.
Elliot Vreeland
I am keeping King’s dream alive through the children. Through positivity. Through my comedy camp. The youth that is being labeled as troubled; we find the talents behind the trouble. Some of these kids that get labeled as bad, in reality, they are actually talented. Sometimes you have to weed through the weeds and find these young talented, beautiful bright children. So, I’m keeping Dr. King’s dream alive through the children.
Marie Shante
I am governing myself in a way that is inclusive to others. And in the event that I feel there’s some type of injustice going on in my immediate reach or that I become aware of, I do my best to make some noise about that.
Keep [the dream] alive, keep the music alive, keep the peace alive, like the movement that Dr. King stood for wasn’t just about equality and racial equality but equality amongst our people. It has been said that until we learn how to treat us, outsiders will never know how to treat us, so let’s treat ourselves the right way.
Nikki Love is a contributing writer at the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.