Vibrant chatter fills the halls of the Newark First Presbyterian Church as people ease into their seats to celebrate the 48th annual community celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., hosted by the Afro-American Cultural and Historical Society (AACHS). Attendees from across the Tri-City area and all backgrounds gathered to commemorate King’s accomplishments and pass on his message.
“Our response is to do just even in a system that doesn’t work well. We need to respond honorably and justly to make sure freedom, justice and democracy are protected.”
Reverend Anthony Woods, Hayward’s Palma Ceia Baptist Church
Jean Ficklin founded the Society in 1974, after being involved in the Newark Commission of Social Concerns. Commenting on her arrival in Newark from Jackson, Mississippi, which was segregated, Ficklin said, “We didn’t see anyone looking like us.”
Ficklin was the first African American instructor in the Newark Unified School District, where she taught for 33 years before retiring in 1987.
“It was a different feeling, but I was welcomed, I was successful, and I was honored by the district,” Ficklin said. “But it was hard on my children. We were first referred to as the N-word here … We are each worthy of respect.”
Reflecting on her own experiences, Ficklin was inspired and wanted to foster a community where people could feel welcome and share their culture, leading to the creation of AACHS.
The organization’s yearly tradition of honoring King’s legacy was established six years before the federal government declared MLK Day a national holiday. Opening this year’s celebration, Emmanuel Aryee from First Presbyterian Church of Newark (FPCN) welcomed the audience and read one of King’s quotes: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”
Musical acts by Reverend Karl Shaldey from the hosting church played on the banjo, and the Youth Group Congressional Christian Church of American Samoa followed.
Afterward, Aryee invited Newark Mayor Michael Hannon, Fremont Mayor Raj Salwan and representative Astrid Scott from the office of State Senator Aisha Wahab to give their proclamations. This year’s theme for the celebration was, “Mission Possible: Protecting Fremont, Justice, and Democracy in the Spirit of Nonviolence 365.”
“We are reminded to recommit to build the community Dr. Martin Luther King envisioned…” said Salwan, “and while the arc of the moral universe is long, it bends toward justice.”
The leaders each presented Ficklin with their cities’ respective proclamations which she accepted. More musical tributes followed, with songs from Annie Hafoka-Pritt of FPCN and harp pieces from Joffria Whitfield. Each performance ended with thundering applause from the audience.
In a tribute from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, co-advisor of youth group Mahdi Fugfugoh and youth president Diego Belarosa gave speeches about their experiences as students and highlighted the importance of education.
Then the event transitioned to the keynote speaker Reverend Anthony Woods from Hayward’s Palma Ceia Baptist Church and the topic for the day. Wood began by examining the fragility of democracy and systemic issues, detailing landmark Supreme Court cases such as Dred Scott v. Sandford, Plessy v. Ferguson, and Brown v. Board of Education as snapshots of historical failures and progress.
“Our response is to do just even in a system that doesn’t work well,” Woods said, “We need to respond honorably and justly to make sure freedom, justice and democracy are protected.”
Closing the event with acknowledgements and announcements, AACHS President Sandra Smith thanked the venue, contributors and attendees. Tying back to King’s legacy, Smith said, “We need to become comfortable being uncomfortable … since progress comes from having difficult conversations with people you may not agree with.”
