Luncheon Honors MLK Jr., Committee Founder Banks
January 18, 2022 at 2:37 a.m.
Luncheon Honors MLK Jr., Committee Founder Banks
By David [email protected]
The event at the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center on the campus of Grace College featured songs, prayers and poetry, with keynote speaker Melvin Adams providing much humor mixed in his challenge to the hundreds in attendance and streaming online to dare to be great.
Karlise and his wife Shawn Stephens, employees of Zimmer Biomet, who also are members of the employee resource group ABLE (African Black Leaders of Excellence), and Cheryl Gill, of DePuy Synthes, where she is involved in the African Ancestry Leadership Council, recognized Banks.
Gill said, “Each year, Kosciusko County comes together to honor Martin Luther King Jr. for his excellent leadership of the Civil Rights Movement. The annual programs are organized by the Committee to Commemorate Martin Luther King Jr., or CCMLK. The group was established in 1987 by Joseph Banks, Lynn Pulliam and Durell Hoskins. The first program was in 1988 at the Shrine Building at the county fairgrounds.”
Hoskins eventually moved away from Warsaw, but Banks and Pulliam continued to serve on the board and the programs committee for 25 years.
“Children and adults have learned more about Dr. King and the broader freedom movement in America through this MLK luncheon. We’ve been encouraged to support the needy and stand up for justice in the challenges of today,” Gill said, listing a number of previous keynote speakers.
“Mr. Banks, we salute you for your vision to establish CCMLK. You have been a clear trailblazer in this community and are well-regarded by individuals you partnered with to plan, sponsor and promote the events,” Gill said. “We also thank you for serving with humility at local churches, community Bible studies and the South Side Opportunity Services tutoring program that you led in Fort Wayne for over 19 years.”
She thanked Banks for his 26 years of military service and recognized his wife, Connie, for supporting Banks’ endeavors.
Karlise said, “Today, we honor Joe Banks – the man, the legend and honor a veteran as well as a retired Zimmer Biomet team member and a community leader.”
He said Banks’ outstanding contributions exemplifies the character, dedication and service that embodied the legacy of MLK Jr. He presented Banks’ with an award and thanked him for his many years of leadership and guidance.
After going up to the stage and receiving his award to applause, Banks said, “In 1955, I received Jesus Christ as my Lord and master. In 1980, my wife and I moved here to Warsaw. We’d seen the injustices, the problems. We had also seen the spiritual leadership of Dr. King. When they made the national holiday, I thought then to celebrate this giant and the encouragement from employers, from churches, from fellow community members and my two friends – Lynn Pulliam and Durell Hoskins – this program was born. The community support continues.”
He said he remembers sitting in a session with CCMLK President John Bryan Lowe III’s father, “who made the direct challenge. He didn’t sugarcoat it, he just said, ‘Racism is wrong.’ It fired me up even more, and this kind of program and this kind of support endorses this is the Lord’s will and we were glad to be a part of it.”
Shawn presented Connie Banks with a gift, too, for her support of her husband.
Lowe then introduced Adams, who is a former professional NCAA All-American basketball player and member of the Harlem Globetrotters.
Adams used humor throughout his speech, even when introducing himself. He said, “I know a lot of you were shocked when saw me walk up here because you were looking for a 6’8” brother. You didn’t know that he’d be a Black Smurf who made his dreams become reality. Dreams do come true.”
He told the crowd he wanted to make them laugh because over the last two years of COVID, more people are divided, depressed and suicide was on the rise. “I want to come here and make you laugh. I don’t want you sitting there with your butt so tight Moses couldn’t part it,” he joked.
“... I want to dare you today to be great, because I got to meet a lot of you and a lot of you are great,” he said.
His speech incorporated a lot of pop cultural references from Spider-Man and Peter Parker to Selena Gomez, Justin Timberlake and Denzel Washington, but he always came back around to King references and daring everyone to be great.
Adams said, “I believe that Martin Luther King’s dream was a big dream. If you want to do something big, you have to think big. Don’t think small. So today I’m going to dare you to be great.”
He talked about how hard he worked himself to be great at basketball. Adams went to a college that only won five games in five years before he got there. When Adams said he wanted to win the national championship, people laughed, but the team went 28-4 and won the national championship.
“You know who got the MVP? The short, cute Black guy. Appreciate it!” he said to laughter.
He talked about his time in the NBA, playing against guys like Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen of the Chicago Bulls, as well as his time with the Globetrotters.
“If you have a dream, and work hard, dreams do come true,” Adams said.
His father was abusive and his mother never showed him love and attention, but he was able to overcome his life’s difficulties.
Toward the end of his 45-minute speech, Adams said, “Everybody is trying to make you be who they want you to be. But be you. Because who you are is awesome. You don’t look like me, you don’t talk like me, you’re still special. You don’t have to talk like me. You don’t have to walk like me. Be you, because being you is enough. It’s enough.”
The luncheon opened with the Warsaw Community High School JROTC presenting the colors and the WCHS Choir singing the national anthem and the African American anthem. The choir also concluded the 1-1/2-hour event with “We Shall Overcome.”
Five Grace College students from the Council of Diversity and Black Student Association made presentations. DaZhané Jones, BSA coordinater at Grace, read the poem “Mother to Son” from Langston Hughes. Amari Seymour sang “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus. Madeline Miller, Grace College diversity and inclusion coordinator, spoke about “What are you doing for others?,” the Civil Rights Movement and Martin Luther King Jr. Fatima Alshaibani sang a rousing rendition of “A Change Is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke while playing the piano. Gershom Tadesse, a resident director at Grace, provided an excerpt from King’s speech “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop.”
Lowe talked about the support from the community to help keep “this dream and hope alive for unity and healing.” He encouraged those who could to give, either at the event or online.
Aug. 28 is Dreamers Day. According to the program, “On Aug. 28, we will join together by wearing our MudLOVE bracelets from our fundraiser to spread Dr. King’s legacy and raise awareness about CCMLK and next year’s event.” King gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech Aug. 28, 1963.
Lowe thanked Grace College for their support of the CCMLK luncheon, Warsaw Community High School and The Grace College Council of Diversity and Black Student Association.
After a prayer from Lowe, Cokiesha Bailey-Robinson, Grace College associate dean of student diversity and inclusion, originally from Dallas, Texas, thanked those who attended in-person or online; retired Grace President Dr. Bill Katip; interim Grace President Dr. John Teevan; and offered a prayer.
The event at the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center on the campus of Grace College featured songs, prayers and poetry, with keynote speaker Melvin Adams providing much humor mixed in his challenge to the hundreds in attendance and streaming online to dare to be great.
Karlise and his wife Shawn Stephens, employees of Zimmer Biomet, who also are members of the employee resource group ABLE (African Black Leaders of Excellence), and Cheryl Gill, of DePuy Synthes, where she is involved in the African Ancestry Leadership Council, recognized Banks.
Gill said, “Each year, Kosciusko County comes together to honor Martin Luther King Jr. for his excellent leadership of the Civil Rights Movement. The annual programs are organized by the Committee to Commemorate Martin Luther King Jr., or CCMLK. The group was established in 1987 by Joseph Banks, Lynn Pulliam and Durell Hoskins. The first program was in 1988 at the Shrine Building at the county fairgrounds.”
Hoskins eventually moved away from Warsaw, but Banks and Pulliam continued to serve on the board and the programs committee for 25 years.
“Children and adults have learned more about Dr. King and the broader freedom movement in America through this MLK luncheon. We’ve been encouraged to support the needy and stand up for justice in the challenges of today,” Gill said, listing a number of previous keynote speakers.
“Mr. Banks, we salute you for your vision to establish CCMLK. You have been a clear trailblazer in this community and are well-regarded by individuals you partnered with to plan, sponsor and promote the events,” Gill said. “We also thank you for serving with humility at local churches, community Bible studies and the South Side Opportunity Services tutoring program that you led in Fort Wayne for over 19 years.”
She thanked Banks for his 26 years of military service and recognized his wife, Connie, for supporting Banks’ endeavors.
Karlise said, “Today, we honor Joe Banks – the man, the legend and honor a veteran as well as a retired Zimmer Biomet team member and a community leader.”
He said Banks’ outstanding contributions exemplifies the character, dedication and service that embodied the legacy of MLK Jr. He presented Banks’ with an award and thanked him for his many years of leadership and guidance.
After going up to the stage and receiving his award to applause, Banks said, “In 1955, I received Jesus Christ as my Lord and master. In 1980, my wife and I moved here to Warsaw. We’d seen the injustices, the problems. We had also seen the spiritual leadership of Dr. King. When they made the national holiday, I thought then to celebrate this giant and the encouragement from employers, from churches, from fellow community members and my two friends – Lynn Pulliam and Durell Hoskins – this program was born. The community support continues.”
He said he remembers sitting in a session with CCMLK President John Bryan Lowe III’s father, “who made the direct challenge. He didn’t sugarcoat it, he just said, ‘Racism is wrong.’ It fired me up even more, and this kind of program and this kind of support endorses this is the Lord’s will and we were glad to be a part of it.”
Shawn presented Connie Banks with a gift, too, for her support of her husband.
Lowe then introduced Adams, who is a former professional NCAA All-American basketball player and member of the Harlem Globetrotters.
Adams used humor throughout his speech, even when introducing himself. He said, “I know a lot of you were shocked when saw me walk up here because you were looking for a 6’8” brother. You didn’t know that he’d be a Black Smurf who made his dreams become reality. Dreams do come true.”
He told the crowd he wanted to make them laugh because over the last two years of COVID, more people are divided, depressed and suicide was on the rise. “I want to come here and make you laugh. I don’t want you sitting there with your butt so tight Moses couldn’t part it,” he joked.
“... I want to dare you today to be great, because I got to meet a lot of you and a lot of you are great,” he said.
His speech incorporated a lot of pop cultural references from Spider-Man and Peter Parker to Selena Gomez, Justin Timberlake and Denzel Washington, but he always came back around to King references and daring everyone to be great.
Adams said, “I believe that Martin Luther King’s dream was a big dream. If you want to do something big, you have to think big. Don’t think small. So today I’m going to dare you to be great.”
He talked about how hard he worked himself to be great at basketball. Adams went to a college that only won five games in five years before he got there. When Adams said he wanted to win the national championship, people laughed, but the team went 28-4 and won the national championship.
“You know who got the MVP? The short, cute Black guy. Appreciate it!” he said to laughter.
He talked about his time in the NBA, playing against guys like Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen of the Chicago Bulls, as well as his time with the Globetrotters.
“If you have a dream, and work hard, dreams do come true,” Adams said.
His father was abusive and his mother never showed him love and attention, but he was able to overcome his life’s difficulties.
Toward the end of his 45-minute speech, Adams said, “Everybody is trying to make you be who they want you to be. But be you. Because who you are is awesome. You don’t look like me, you don’t talk like me, you’re still special. You don’t have to talk like me. You don’t have to walk like me. Be you, because being you is enough. It’s enough.”
The luncheon opened with the Warsaw Community High School JROTC presenting the colors and the WCHS Choir singing the national anthem and the African American anthem. The choir also concluded the 1-1/2-hour event with “We Shall Overcome.”
Five Grace College students from the Council of Diversity and Black Student Association made presentations. DaZhané Jones, BSA coordinater at Grace, read the poem “Mother to Son” from Langston Hughes. Amari Seymour sang “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus. Madeline Miller, Grace College diversity and inclusion coordinator, spoke about “What are you doing for others?,” the Civil Rights Movement and Martin Luther King Jr. Fatima Alshaibani sang a rousing rendition of “A Change Is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke while playing the piano. Gershom Tadesse, a resident director at Grace, provided an excerpt from King’s speech “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop.”
Lowe talked about the support from the community to help keep “this dream and hope alive for unity and healing.” He encouraged those who could to give, either at the event or online.
Aug. 28 is Dreamers Day. According to the program, “On Aug. 28, we will join together by wearing our MudLOVE bracelets from our fundraiser to spread Dr. King’s legacy and raise awareness about CCMLK and next year’s event.” King gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech Aug. 28, 1963.
Lowe thanked Grace College for their support of the CCMLK luncheon, Warsaw Community High School and The Grace College Council of Diversity and Black Student Association.
After a prayer from Lowe, Cokiesha Bailey-Robinson, Grace College associate dean of student diversity and inclusion, originally from Dallas, Texas, thanked those who attended in-person or online; retired Grace President Dr. Bill Katip; interim Grace President Dr. John Teevan; and offered a prayer.
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