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A cross section of Kosciusko County citizenry paid tribute to slain civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Monday at the 11th annual luncheon program.
The theme of the program, which took place in Center Lake Pavilion, was "Reliving the Dream." Approximately 200 people attended.
Joe Banks, chairman of the Committee to Commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Inc., was host, dedicating Monday's program to Elizabeth Dobynes, former president of the Fort Wayne NAACP. Dobynes, who died recently, helped the Wawasee School District address diversity issues.
"She brought with her not intimidation, but professional expertise and guidance," Banks said. "We mourn the loss of a real warrior."
Warsaw schools superintendent Dr. Lee Harman, also a member of the committee, announced the winners of the Academic Excellence Award. The award is open to any Kosciusko County minority student who has a record of outstanding academic performance and embodies King's principles, Harman said.
Yaun Jy Phoun, of Wawasee High School, was the award winner, receiving a certificate and a $1,000 savings bond. Joshiekka Outlaw, Warsaw Community High School, was the runner-up.
The highlight of the luncheon was a reenactment by Wawasee's Amy VanLaningham Society of two civil rights events - the Rosa Parks bus incident and Little Rock, Ark., school desegregation.
On Dec. 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, then a 42-year-old black seamstress, refused to give up her bus seat to a white man, and was arrested for breaking the law.
"By the time she left the bus she had started a movement that would shake the nation," the students said.
The goal of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, Banks said, is not to give people another day off work, but to encourage people to think.
"The crucial part of the Martin Luther King holiday is that it is a day of study, a day of making a difference," he said.
"I trust we've placed some thoughts before you that represent the ideals of Dr. Martin Luther King."
As it does every year, the program ended with all participants holding hands in one large circle and singing "We Shall Overcome."
