MLK Luncheon: Guest speaker, award recipient share common vision of change
January 17, 2017 at 8:59 p.m.
By David [email protected]
Carl Erskine, a baseball player with the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1948 to 1959, spoke at Monday’s event about teammate Jackie Robinson, a black Major League Baseball player who broke the color barrier, and his son Jimmy, who was born with Down syndrome.
The Committee to Commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship went to Callie Green, a Warsaw Community High School senior who plans to attend Ivy Tech.
In announcing Green as the scholarship recipient, CCMLK Vice President and Warsaw Community Schools Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert, “I have a special privilege this morning, I get to award the very first scholarship for the Class of 2017, and this is an exciting one.”
When the applications for the scholarship are sent out, “There are names that come across your desk that, when you see them, you just become very excited about that person applying for a scholarship. And I couldn’t think of a better person to receive the 2017 scholarship than the young lady that is receiving one today.”
Hoffert shared a little bit of what Green wrote in her application. The question in the application was, “Describe how you live the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during your school, church or place and/or community.”
In part, Green wrote, “All my life, I lived through struggles and (saw) many things that shaped me into the person I am today. My mom had problems with drugs, and I (saw) her physically destroy herself and her body, especially after my grandmother passed away. When I was young I didn’t understand the meaning of life and why I was even here. So I did whatever I wanted to do, but that was until I got my wake-up call about eight years ago and my mom stopped doing drugs. And I started getting good grades, and life started getting really great for me.”
In her history class, she learned about the Freedom Riders and how the Civil Rights Movement changed America.
“I knew that if Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. could make a change, so could I,” Green wrote. “This last year, I went to Jamaica to spread the Word of the Lord with my church. I also started a program called Jeans for Teens at my school. And I began realizing what a difference I could make.”
After the luncheon, Green added, “I feel excited. I never thought I could come this far and get this award. It means a lot to me.”
Hoffert also introduced Erskine , who pitched two no-hitters in the majors, held the World Series strikeout record and was a critical part of the 1955 World Series Champion Dodgers.
“But his story goes much deeper than being a professional athlete. Until 1947, only white athletes could play in Major League Baseball,” Hoffert said.
During this time in baseball, Erskine became a key part of the integration of baseball with Jackie Robinson and helped America understand that worth is not judged by the color of one’s skin but the content of one’s character. Erskine and Robinson were close friends until Robinson’s death and he remains close to Robinson’s family, Hoffert said.
Erskine also became a huge advocate for Special Olympics. His son, Jimmy, was born with Down syndrome in 1960.
Before beginning his talk, Erskine, 90, who will celebrate 70 years of marriage to his wife Betty later this year, played “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” on his harmonica. It was the first of three songs he played.
“Dr. Martin Luther King, in his address before his life was taken, said these final words: ‘My eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.’ Today, we listen to echoes. Echoes of the man who stood for all the good things that we strive to be as human beings. An echo that said there is hope for justice, equality and the dignity of every living individual,” Erskine said.
“... Dr. King, we hear your echo today in Warsaw, Indiana, and all across the nation and all across the world for a life that was given for the benefit of those who couldn’t help themselves,” Erskine said.
A good thing about being old, he said, was, “You look back and you see these things that happened, that are small and insignificant, but done with a good heart and for the right reason. And those things multiply. ... We’re here today to talk about good and good outcomes. Always the positive, always the hope. And that was Martin?Luther King Jr.’s hope itself. That I may not see it, but I pray it happens.”
Erskine talked about two of the greatest social changes that happened in his lifetime: the Civil Rights Movement and more inclusion of those with disabilities into society like special education and Special Olympics.
When Erskine started playing baseball, it was all white, he said. “I was in the beginning years of that change to start.”
It began in 1904 when a man named Branch Rickey was a coach at Ohio Wesleyan. He took a team to play at Notre Dame, and his catcher, best hitter and star player was a black student by the name of Charles Thomas. He was denied accommodations at the hotel because he was black. Thomas eventually was allowed to stay in Rickey’s room on a roll-away bed. In the room, Rickey saw Thomas with tears in his eyes, asking why he “had to be this color.”
Then in 1946, after becoming a major league owner, Rickey decided to face segregation by bringing a black player into the Major Leagues – No. 42 Jackie Robinson.
“Small things have good outcomes sometimes,” Erskine said, describing Robinson as intelligent and an outstanding athlete. Erskine signed as a pro baseball player the same year Robinson did.
Rickey talked to Robinson about “turning the other cheek” no matter what others said or did to him, and Robinson said he could do that, and he did.
“I played with Jackie nine seasons. I saw him take lots of abuse. ... But there’s no history, absolutely none, written, spoken or remembered, that Jackie ever fought back,”?Erskine recalled. “What did Dr. King talk about? Peaceful resistance. It’s so powerful, so hard to do. Jackie did it. That’s why Jackie is a hero. That’s why Jackie is in the Hall of Fame.”
He said Robinson started a momentum, with players like “the greatest home run hitter” Hank Aaron coming after him. “I have to admit I helped Henry Aaron break that record. In six seasons he had five home runs off me. I’m proud of that story.”
King came along 10 years after Robinson broke the color barrier in MLB, Erskine said. “Jackie started a momentum, and that momentum is an outcome of ... 1904 and Mr. Rickey. So you can’t deny the small things in life.”
After playing “Back Home Again in Indiana” on his harmonica a little later, Erskine talked about his son Jimmy and how social views on disabilities like Down syndrome have changed. His son now has worked at an Applebee’s for 18 years.
“The people we thought were unteachable are now teaching us,” he said.
Afterward, Hoffert sat down with Erskine for a question-and-answer session. Gifts from WCS and Grace College were presented to him, and the WCHS choir sang “We Shall Overcome” with those in attendance.
Carl Erskine, a baseball player with the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1948 to 1959, spoke at Monday’s event about teammate Jackie Robinson, a black Major League Baseball player who broke the color barrier, and his son Jimmy, who was born with Down syndrome.
The Committee to Commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship went to Callie Green, a Warsaw Community High School senior who plans to attend Ivy Tech.
In announcing Green as the scholarship recipient, CCMLK Vice President and Warsaw Community Schools Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert, “I have a special privilege this morning, I get to award the very first scholarship for the Class of 2017, and this is an exciting one.”
When the applications for the scholarship are sent out, “There are names that come across your desk that, when you see them, you just become very excited about that person applying for a scholarship. And I couldn’t think of a better person to receive the 2017 scholarship than the young lady that is receiving one today.”
Hoffert shared a little bit of what Green wrote in her application. The question in the application was, “Describe how you live the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during your school, church or place and/or community.”
In part, Green wrote, “All my life, I lived through struggles and (saw) many things that shaped me into the person I am today. My mom had problems with drugs, and I (saw) her physically destroy herself and her body, especially after my grandmother passed away. When I was young I didn’t understand the meaning of life and why I was even here. So I did whatever I wanted to do, but that was until I got my wake-up call about eight years ago and my mom stopped doing drugs. And I started getting good grades, and life started getting really great for me.”
In her history class, she learned about the Freedom Riders and how the Civil Rights Movement changed America.
“I knew that if Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. could make a change, so could I,” Green wrote. “This last year, I went to Jamaica to spread the Word of the Lord with my church. I also started a program called Jeans for Teens at my school. And I began realizing what a difference I could make.”
After the luncheon, Green added, “I feel excited. I never thought I could come this far and get this award. It means a lot to me.”
Hoffert also introduced Erskine , who pitched two no-hitters in the majors, held the World Series strikeout record and was a critical part of the 1955 World Series Champion Dodgers.
“But his story goes much deeper than being a professional athlete. Until 1947, only white athletes could play in Major League Baseball,” Hoffert said.
During this time in baseball, Erskine became a key part of the integration of baseball with Jackie Robinson and helped America understand that worth is not judged by the color of one’s skin but the content of one’s character. Erskine and Robinson were close friends until Robinson’s death and he remains close to Robinson’s family, Hoffert said.
Erskine also became a huge advocate for Special Olympics. His son, Jimmy, was born with Down syndrome in 1960.
Before beginning his talk, Erskine, 90, who will celebrate 70 years of marriage to his wife Betty later this year, played “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” on his harmonica. It was the first of three songs he played.
“Dr. Martin Luther King, in his address before his life was taken, said these final words: ‘My eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.’ Today, we listen to echoes. Echoes of the man who stood for all the good things that we strive to be as human beings. An echo that said there is hope for justice, equality and the dignity of every living individual,” Erskine said.
“... Dr. King, we hear your echo today in Warsaw, Indiana, and all across the nation and all across the world for a life that was given for the benefit of those who couldn’t help themselves,” Erskine said.
A good thing about being old, he said, was, “You look back and you see these things that happened, that are small and insignificant, but done with a good heart and for the right reason. And those things multiply. ... We’re here today to talk about good and good outcomes. Always the positive, always the hope. And that was Martin?Luther King Jr.’s hope itself. That I may not see it, but I pray it happens.”
Erskine talked about two of the greatest social changes that happened in his lifetime: the Civil Rights Movement and more inclusion of those with disabilities into society like special education and Special Olympics.
When Erskine started playing baseball, it was all white, he said. “I was in the beginning years of that change to start.”
It began in 1904 when a man named Branch Rickey was a coach at Ohio Wesleyan. He took a team to play at Notre Dame, and his catcher, best hitter and star player was a black student by the name of Charles Thomas. He was denied accommodations at the hotel because he was black. Thomas eventually was allowed to stay in Rickey’s room on a roll-away bed. In the room, Rickey saw Thomas with tears in his eyes, asking why he “had to be this color.”
Then in 1946, after becoming a major league owner, Rickey decided to face segregation by bringing a black player into the Major Leagues – No. 42 Jackie Robinson.
“Small things have good outcomes sometimes,” Erskine said, describing Robinson as intelligent and an outstanding athlete. Erskine signed as a pro baseball player the same year Robinson did.
Rickey talked to Robinson about “turning the other cheek” no matter what others said or did to him, and Robinson said he could do that, and he did.
“I played with Jackie nine seasons. I saw him take lots of abuse. ... But there’s no history, absolutely none, written, spoken or remembered, that Jackie ever fought back,”?Erskine recalled. “What did Dr. King talk about? Peaceful resistance. It’s so powerful, so hard to do. Jackie did it. That’s why Jackie is a hero. That’s why Jackie is in the Hall of Fame.”
He said Robinson started a momentum, with players like “the greatest home run hitter” Hank Aaron coming after him. “I have to admit I helped Henry Aaron break that record. In six seasons he had five home runs off me. I’m proud of that story.”
King came along 10 years after Robinson broke the color barrier in MLB, Erskine said. “Jackie started a momentum, and that momentum is an outcome of ... 1904 and Mr. Rickey. So you can’t deny the small things in life.”
After playing “Back Home Again in Indiana” on his harmonica a little later, Erskine talked about his son Jimmy and how social views on disabilities like Down syndrome have changed. His son now has worked at an Applebee’s for 18 years.
“The people we thought were unteachable are now teaching us,” he said.
Afterward, Hoffert sat down with Erskine for a question-and-answer session. Gifts from WCS and Grace College were presented to him, and the WCHS choir sang “We Shall Overcome” with those in attendance.
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