• Ross Cunningham •
• Originally published January 22, 2009 at 12:03 p.m., updated January 22, 2009 at 12:03 p.m.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration at the Bay City Service Center on Monday, Jan. 19, had a different twist than usual. A birthday party skit took place, with the arrival of then President-elect Barack Obama (played by Bay City Council member Clarence Fenner). The Matagorda County National Association for the Advancement of Colored People hosted the MLK Day event. The birthday celebration opened with a prayer by co-chairladies Lavern Newell, Donnye Stone and Perrylon Eaton. The service center was decorated with birthday decoration all around the auditorium. Different people were introduced during the skit that had an impact on the civil rights movement and Rev. King’s life. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife Coretta King played by Rev. Jerry Manning and Danyal Manning were the first to be introduced. Other famous people that were recognized in the skit and played by actors were Maya Angleton, Yolanda Denise King, Rosa Parks, Lucy Williams, Martin Luther King III, Dexter Scott King, Bernice Albertine King, Rev. Ralph D. Abernathy, Bayard Rustin, Roy Wilkins, Eugene “Bull” Connor, President John F. Kennedy, Elijah Muhammad, Malcolm X, Stokey Carmichael, Andrew Young, Lyndon Baines Johnson, Dora McDonald, Rev. Jesse Jackson, James Meredith. To close out the skit President-elect Obama made his brief appearance complete with Secret Service Men played by Rev. Michael Hebert and Bobby Head. “I know that all things through faith can be realized,” said Obama actor Fenner. “As President-elect I began to realize my responsibility to a mother who is worried about how she is going to feed her children or a father who is trying to provide for his family. I realize a responsibility for all the soldiers in harms way in Iraq, Afghanistan and other parts of the world.” “I remember a young Baptist preacher in Alabama who stood up for a cause and had a vision that we were moving to the Promised Land. King wouldn’t see the Promised Land but he knew one day we would,” said Fenner. “We would see one day, the dream fulfilled that we wouldn’t be judged by the content of the color of our skin but by the content of the character of our heart. This is our time and moment in history.” Several of those in attendance at the MLK Day event were asked the question if they believed the election of Barack Obama as President of the U.S. has fulfilled MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech? Florence Brown said she believes it has been fulfilled. “It took all of America to elect President Obama,” said Brown. “No one could have written a better script that after MLK Day we would elect the first African American President.” Bobby Head who was also involved in the skit said that he believed King’s dream was fulfilled in the election of Obama. “His election as President of the U.S. is an advancement for all people,” said Head. “The world looks at us as a free people and a country where race and religion isn’t important but that in America you can be anything you want to be even President of the United States.” Teresa Hawkins said that she believes Obama partially fulfilled the dream that King had, but that we still have a long way to go. Valerie May, 99, was the oldest person at the event and was excited that she was able to witness the election of Obama as President of the U.S. She said she believes King’s dream was realized in Obama’s election. In closing co-chairlady Stone made this remark, “Rosa Parks sat so Rev. King could walk, King walked so President Obama could run and Obama ran so our children could fly,” said Stone.

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