Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / Feb. 18, 1999, edition 1 / Page 5
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Ala rtin Luther King Jr. conducts a rado interview while journalism students from Bennett College look on. Igo Civil Bights loader visited the Oreensboro college in 1938. Bennett releases King tape J' by damon ford tfte chronicle .j tr GREENSBORO - Lorptta McKee vividly remembers the night Martin Luther King, Jr. came tt> Bennett College. "People were just taking it in stride at the time," she said. "No one realized just how big it was because we were all into Civil K ights. When you're a part of his tory sometimes you don't know you're making it." J On Feb. 11, 1958, more than 1,000 people packed into quaint Annie Merner Pfeiffer Chapel while hundreds of others stood Riutside in the cold to hear the 29 year-old King speak. v On that night, McKee, a 1956 graduate of Bennett, sat on the tight side of the steamy church. , "I was really standing because it Was so crowded," she said. "I could took over (the balcony) and see his head. He commanded the audi ince-he gained their attention." [ Because of the efforts of school >fficials, Bennett College recently elebrated the 41st anniversary of Cing's visit to the campus by epUying the tape of his speech to he public last "Hiursday. The tapes are now on sale as j?art of a university fund raising effort. 5 At least 500 people attended the ivent during the morning and evening sessions, including those like McKee who saw and heard, King speak four decades ago. With scenes of King and other ?ivil Rights icons from the doc mentary "Eyes on the Prize" flash ing across the projector screen, Everyone - young and old listened ^ltently to the words of the slain tivil rights leader. I During the 72 minute speech, King touched on a number of areas ^eluding the importance of blacks Registering to vote. l "What I'm saying is this that Ke must gain the ballot- and use it Wisely," he said. "I've come to see fecently that one of the biggest iteps that the Negro can take is (hat short walk to the ballot box...Don't put it all on resistance, jt's true that in my state of Alaba ma Negroes aren't registered in many instances because they can't Jegister-'the resistance is strohg ^ecause registrars refuse to regis ter.But I don't think that's true in Greensboro, N.C. Many Negroes {ren't registered because they- are foo lazy to go down and get regis tered," King said amid a thunder ous applause. He also talked about the need for good leadership. "We must continue to develop wise, courageous and sincere lead ership," King said. "This is a need all over the south and all over this nation. ' <:i "Leaders who will guard the extremes of hot headedness and uncle Tomness ... Leaders who somehow have the~ vision to see the issues and have the courage to stand there." At this point in his life King had not become the historical icon that many school books talk about or streets across the nation are named for. King had left the cozy confines of his fathers church in Atlanta, to become the pastor at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Mont gomery, Afa. He quickly became known around the city and state for help ing push the year long bus boycott in Montgomery and confounding the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of which his son, Mar tin Luther King, III is president, today. For C.C. Draghn hearing King again gave some perspective to that eventful night in 1958. "The significance is to acquaint those who weren't around about black history (and) refresh or stim ulate the minds of those of us who forgot or tossed (the message) to the side," he said. "I think it (was) very helpful to young people to see it and hear what was going on at the time." Draghn is so very grateful that Dr. Willa Player, president of Ben nett College in 1958 volunteered the facilities of the African Ameri can women's school. King was originally invited by the Greensboro NAACP branch to come to the city but fear of vio lence kept the doors of local churches and other black owned venues closed. Organizers thought about hold ing the event at N.C. Agricultural and Technical State University was looked at but concern that funding would be cut ofT from the state sup ported school lead officials to back out. Player balked at the notion Bennett was to small to host the event. "Bennett College is a liberal arts school where freedom rings so Martin Luther King, Jr. can speak here," she proclaimed at the time. With thpt one bold move histo ry was made and many of the peo ple under the sound of Kings voice left the campus chapel challenged. Included in that group was a I student from Dudley High School by the name of Ezell Blair, Jr. (now Jibreel Khazan), who was so moved by King's speech that two years later he and three other freshman at A&T sat down at the segregated lunch counter at F.W. Woolworth in downtown Greens boro sparking the nationwide sit-in movement. In the mind of Dr. Charlotte Alston, Bennett College's provost, Kings speech still has relevance today. "Although that message from King wa? delivered in 1958, the core of his concern as I see it con tinues to be with us," Alston. "Therefore it behooves all of us to continue to join in the fight for equality, the fight for peace, the fight for justice for all people-you see it's not over. "I sometimes believe that many of our people believe that there isn't anything else to do, but there is The celebration this evening was a reminder to all of us that there are roads yet to be traveled." For information about obtaining copies of the King tapes, call (336) 370-8646. The Chronicle The Choice for African American News and Information News Deadline is Monday at 5:00pm ====== 1 The Chronicle's e-mail address is: wschron@netunlimited.net 4 < | mr \ toe:5.45% wSfflffi* Term: 13 mos. ? * may add It lit mmcmttcfyom emit/km, pi i+ft t*UrmofH?<mt1/k*i titmMmmmfm I(till 1*1+10 -mrrndfrniiuUgr nil NmUffofmif tOUitard (300 m*L Emm* UmUum Ummtftl9J99 *!??? >jM? it:**, .Mm* muta -Southern Community' BANK AND TRUST Small Enough To Cart vkaotvMon ? mam ua kc*? ?rmcomrtjCkkU ? 1)6sstrafe*u ?siforrnncmtrt,. f=t f32OHO*Sl'fimiXmX ? (79-4121 -- ? *?.'<? _wwwict?n1t?ai ? TwImh I)iRIb| I -gOO-lM-70>3 FD(C ^ Graduate Programs Information Fairs Greensboro Tuesday, February 23,1999 3:00 - 7:00 p.m. Room 416, Bryan Building on the UNCG campus. Free parking is available in the Walker Avenue Parking Deck. ? , Winston-Salem - " " * * Thursday, February 25,1999 3:00 - 7:00 p.m. Wachovia Park Building on Cherry Street, between 1 st and 2nd Streets. Free parking is available on the 1 st level of the parking deck (enter by turning right off Cherry Street onto 2nd Street, then right into the deck). For more information please call 334-5390, fax 334-4209 or email Bryan_SchoolOuncg.edu. I ? It's your world. Talk like it. Articulating, discussing, just doing your thing. No one helps you express yourself like AT&T. With wireless, the Internet, calling . cards and more, jp from home, the office, your car, wherever. It's all within your reach! ? Fekykah www.att.com/black_history_month ^ " 'v ? - . ,?*??? - ? ^
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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Feb. 18, 1999, edition 1
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