MLK Committee President Excited For Organization’s Future
January 15, 2022 at 12:52 a.m.
MLK Committee President Excited For Organization’s Future
By David [email protected]
The 34th Martin Luther King Jr. Day Community Event is at the Manahan Orthopedic Capital Center on the Grace College campus. Doors for the free event open at 11 a.m. Monday, and the program is scheduled to start at 11:30 a.m. Keynote speaker is former professional NCAA All-American basketball player and member of the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters Melvin Adams.
“I’m excited to hear him,” Lowe said. “He will be very dynamic. Like his personality and everything, I think everybody will really enjoy him, as well as his story of overcoming, pushing through and achieving goals. I think it will do an amazing job of honoring Dr. King with how Melvin’s been able to live his life and apply everything.”
He said the Committee will also recognize some of the founders of CCMLK during Monday’s event. Joe Banks, Lynn Pulliam and Durell Hoskins founded the CCMLK in 1987 to provide a forum in which King is commemorated in the county.
This is Lowe’s ninth year on the board.
“CCMLK has been a part of Kosciusko County a long time before that, so having an opportunity to recognize some of those that had the vision and foresight to start this kind of event, to bring everyone together, to recognize Dr. King and to celebrate diversity and inclusion and unity, it’s really good. I’m excited,” he said.
Also, this year, Lowe said the Committee is going to introduce what’s called Bracelet Day.
“We’re going to try to bring Dr. King’s heart and vision, kind of, to everybody’s mind and forefront later on in the year, around in August. We’ll have a Bracelet Day. It was in August when Dr. King gave his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, so on that day we’ll have bracelets that represent Dr. King’s dream,” he said, as well as bracelets that signify CCMLK and the community.
“I think it’s really neat the way, right now, CCMLK is finding ways to pepper itself throughout the year. It’s not just one year, one event,” Lowe said.
As the years go along, he said it wasn’t difficult to find speakers for MLK Day.
“I think Dr. King’s message and the message of unity and pushing through diversity and difficulty, there’s always someone ready to speak on that. There’s always someone ready to carry that heart. So that’s not an issue,” Lowe said. “Having our community show up, after the year we’ve had with 2020, 2021 with COVID, I think that’s really what’s in question, is: Will Kosciusko County still show up?”
He said in 2021 they had a good online attendance, but it wasn’t in-person. Last year, it was held at New Life Christian Church and Outreach, but is back at the MOCC at Grace College this year.
“It’s wonderful to be back at Grace, to have Grace’s support and the school support with the choir coming out and to see the community really rally behind it again, so I’m really hopeful,” Lowe stated.
The Committee is wanting to change things up. He said the board right now is trying to figure out ways to do more throughout the year than just the one event.
“I would love, and I know we’ve talked about it as a board, I would love to see something in the community that speaks of Dr. King, his vision and his dream every day of the year, whether that’s a statue, a monument, something somewhere in the community that would have that kind of in the forefront,” Lowe said.
Fort Wayne has the Martin Luther King Jr. bridge.
“It’s very well lit, it’s amazing, it’s well decorated, and I’ve actually just started working with the board out of Fort Wayne to find out, ‘Hey, how did you do this? What did you do? What were the steps that took place?’ So that we can do something similar in Kosciusko and in Warsaw and in Winona Lake,” Lowe said.
According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the population of Kosciusko County as of April 1, 2020, was 80,240, up from 77,358 on April 1, 2010. While it’s still predominantly white alone – 95.2% (87.6% white alone, not Hispanic or Latino) – as of 2020, 1.1% are Black or African American alone; 0.4% are American Indian and Alaska native alone; 1.7% are Asian alone; and 8.2% are Hispanic or Latino.
The 2020 U.S. Census has the city of Warsaw’s population at 15,804, up from 13,559 in 2010. Its population is 85.5% white (76.8% white alone, not Hispanic or Latino) and 2.3% Black, 1.7% American Indian and Alaska native, 4.7% Asian, 3.3% two or more races and 12.4% Hispanic.
“It is changing. When Lynn Pulliam asked me to become the board president eight years ago, I was like, ‘Lynn, I’m white. How can I be the president of CCMLK?’ And he looked at me and said, ‘Because this is exactly what Dr. King’s dream was for. Someone of a different color, a different ethnicity carrying the same heart within them.’ I was like, ‘OK, with that, I’m in.’ I’ve enjoyed it. I really have,” Lowe said.
CCMLK Board of Directors are Lowe, president; Alyssa Lowe, secretary; Kathy Madden, treasurer; Melanie Woodruff, director of promotion; Krista Polston, grants and special projects coordinator; Cokiesha Bailey-Robinson and Sylvester Thomas.
“I think our board depicts our community, which I don’t see that as a bad thing when people ask the question why are they all white. That’s our community right now. The majority of our community is caucasian, and then we’re now sprinkling in through the board different ethnicities,” Lowe said. “That is showing up now on the board, which is great, too, as it’s been showing up in the community. I’ve enjoyed that and I don’t see that as a negative.”
The CCMLK also presents a scholarship to students every year in Warsaw. At the annual luncheon there are scholarship forms available and students can pick those up, fill them out and return them. The scholarship used to be presented at the luncheon, but the timing didn’t fit and applicants were missed, so now it’s presented on the same day the school presents all of its other scholarships.
As for sponsorship, Lowe said they would love to have more.
“Because that’s the ceiling to how we gather our speakers, what we do with luncheons. Grace has been amazing, as a sponsor, giving us a wonderful deal on luncheon and the menu. But if we had greater sponsorships, then we’d be doing even more than what we’re currently doing, but we do the very best we can with every single dollar that comes through,” he said.
Those unable to attend in person can watch a livestream of the event, thanks to Grace College, on CCMLK’s Facebook page. Search “Committee to Commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - Warsaw, Indiana, USA'' or “@ccmlkwarsaw."
The Committee also has a website at ccmlkwarsaw.com, where there’s a link for donations.
“I’m excited to see what happens after this year. I really am,” Lowe said. “If people want to be involved, on the board or anything like that, please reach out to us. We’re always looking to grow and do more.”
The 34th Martin Luther King Jr. Day Community Event is at the Manahan Orthopedic Capital Center on the Grace College campus. Doors for the free event open at 11 a.m. Monday, and the program is scheduled to start at 11:30 a.m. Keynote speaker is former professional NCAA All-American basketball player and member of the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters Melvin Adams.
“I’m excited to hear him,” Lowe said. “He will be very dynamic. Like his personality and everything, I think everybody will really enjoy him, as well as his story of overcoming, pushing through and achieving goals. I think it will do an amazing job of honoring Dr. King with how Melvin’s been able to live his life and apply everything.”
He said the Committee will also recognize some of the founders of CCMLK during Monday’s event. Joe Banks, Lynn Pulliam and Durell Hoskins founded the CCMLK in 1987 to provide a forum in which King is commemorated in the county.
This is Lowe’s ninth year on the board.
“CCMLK has been a part of Kosciusko County a long time before that, so having an opportunity to recognize some of those that had the vision and foresight to start this kind of event, to bring everyone together, to recognize Dr. King and to celebrate diversity and inclusion and unity, it’s really good. I’m excited,” he said.
Also, this year, Lowe said the Committee is going to introduce what’s called Bracelet Day.
“We’re going to try to bring Dr. King’s heart and vision, kind of, to everybody’s mind and forefront later on in the year, around in August. We’ll have a Bracelet Day. It was in August when Dr. King gave his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, so on that day we’ll have bracelets that represent Dr. King’s dream,” he said, as well as bracelets that signify CCMLK and the community.
“I think it’s really neat the way, right now, CCMLK is finding ways to pepper itself throughout the year. It’s not just one year, one event,” Lowe said.
As the years go along, he said it wasn’t difficult to find speakers for MLK Day.
“I think Dr. King’s message and the message of unity and pushing through diversity and difficulty, there’s always someone ready to speak on that. There’s always someone ready to carry that heart. So that’s not an issue,” Lowe said. “Having our community show up, after the year we’ve had with 2020, 2021 with COVID, I think that’s really what’s in question, is: Will Kosciusko County still show up?”
He said in 2021 they had a good online attendance, but it wasn’t in-person. Last year, it was held at New Life Christian Church and Outreach, but is back at the MOCC at Grace College this year.
“It’s wonderful to be back at Grace, to have Grace’s support and the school support with the choir coming out and to see the community really rally behind it again, so I’m really hopeful,” Lowe stated.
The Committee is wanting to change things up. He said the board right now is trying to figure out ways to do more throughout the year than just the one event.
“I would love, and I know we’ve talked about it as a board, I would love to see something in the community that speaks of Dr. King, his vision and his dream every day of the year, whether that’s a statue, a monument, something somewhere in the community that would have that kind of in the forefront,” Lowe said.
Fort Wayne has the Martin Luther King Jr. bridge.
“It’s very well lit, it’s amazing, it’s well decorated, and I’ve actually just started working with the board out of Fort Wayne to find out, ‘Hey, how did you do this? What did you do? What were the steps that took place?’ So that we can do something similar in Kosciusko and in Warsaw and in Winona Lake,” Lowe said.
According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the population of Kosciusko County as of April 1, 2020, was 80,240, up from 77,358 on April 1, 2010. While it’s still predominantly white alone – 95.2% (87.6% white alone, not Hispanic or Latino) – as of 2020, 1.1% are Black or African American alone; 0.4% are American Indian and Alaska native alone; 1.7% are Asian alone; and 8.2% are Hispanic or Latino.
The 2020 U.S. Census has the city of Warsaw’s population at 15,804, up from 13,559 in 2010. Its population is 85.5% white (76.8% white alone, not Hispanic or Latino) and 2.3% Black, 1.7% American Indian and Alaska native, 4.7% Asian, 3.3% two or more races and 12.4% Hispanic.
“It is changing. When Lynn Pulliam asked me to become the board president eight years ago, I was like, ‘Lynn, I’m white. How can I be the president of CCMLK?’ And he looked at me and said, ‘Because this is exactly what Dr. King’s dream was for. Someone of a different color, a different ethnicity carrying the same heart within them.’ I was like, ‘OK, with that, I’m in.’ I’ve enjoyed it. I really have,” Lowe said.
CCMLK Board of Directors are Lowe, president; Alyssa Lowe, secretary; Kathy Madden, treasurer; Melanie Woodruff, director of promotion; Krista Polston, grants and special projects coordinator; Cokiesha Bailey-Robinson and Sylvester Thomas.
“I think our board depicts our community, which I don’t see that as a bad thing when people ask the question why are they all white. That’s our community right now. The majority of our community is caucasian, and then we’re now sprinkling in through the board different ethnicities,” Lowe said. “That is showing up now on the board, which is great, too, as it’s been showing up in the community. I’ve enjoyed that and I don’t see that as a negative.”
The CCMLK also presents a scholarship to students every year in Warsaw. At the annual luncheon there are scholarship forms available and students can pick those up, fill them out and return them. The scholarship used to be presented at the luncheon, but the timing didn’t fit and applicants were missed, so now it’s presented on the same day the school presents all of its other scholarships.
As for sponsorship, Lowe said they would love to have more.
“Because that’s the ceiling to how we gather our speakers, what we do with luncheons. Grace has been amazing, as a sponsor, giving us a wonderful deal on luncheon and the menu. But if we had greater sponsorships, then we’d be doing even more than what we’re currently doing, but we do the very best we can with every single dollar that comes through,” he said.
Those unable to attend in person can watch a livestream of the event, thanks to Grace College, on CCMLK’s Facebook page. Search “Committee to Commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - Warsaw, Indiana, USA'' or “@ccmlkwarsaw."
The Committee also has a website at ccmlkwarsaw.com, where there’s a link for donations.
“I’m excited to see what happens after this year. I really am,” Lowe said. “If people want to be involved, on the board or anything like that, please reach out to us. We’re always looking to grow and do more.”
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