MIFA honors Dr. King
On Monday, January 16, MIFA held its annual observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday. Edward L. Stanton, III, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, delivered the keynote address (see text below). Bernal Smith, president and publisher of the Tri-State Defender, led the program.
During the celebration, the 12 finalists in MIFA’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Oratorical contest were announced. This annual competition, sponsored by Nina and Matthew Thornton, is open to area high school students, with prizes awarded to the top three winners. The first-place winner will deliver the keynote address at MIFA’s Day of Reflection and Service on Saturday, March 31.
The text from Attorney Stanton's speech on MLK Day is included below, and he is pictured with oratorical contest finalist and COOL student Susie Gray.
Remarks by United States Attorney Edward L. Stanton, III
Thank you Bernal for that very kind introduction. And let me first say Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to everyone! I want to thank MIFA for inviting me to be here today. To all elected and appointed officials; to MIFA's very capable Executive Director, Sally Heinz, and to all of MIFA's board members, including Board Chairman Jef Feibelman; to Charlie Nelson for extending the kind invitation; and to all of the very fine staff, employees, volunteers and MIFA supporters – I want to thank each of you for allowing me to participate in this ceremony and share some brief remarks on this occasion.
MIFA holds a special place in my heart. And one of the many reasons is that for 14 years, my sister, Arnetta, has been part of this organization, and I have been able to see through her all the incredible things MIFA does in our community. MIFA is indeed one of the many reasons I am proud to be a life-long Memphian.
Every year, when this holiday comes, I think about the connection Dr. King had with Memphis. I think about the 1968 sanitation workers’ strike and his support of their cause. I recall early in my legal career when I had the opportunity to work in City Hall as an Assistant City Attorney, I would have the opportunity on occasions to speak with some of the employees from the Public Works Division, many of whom had vivid depictions and personal stories about how things were in the late 60's concerning the deplorable working conditions – and, more specifically, the visit that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. made on their behalf in 1968.
We all know that on April 3, 1968, about a mile from where I am standing right now, Dr. King gave what is known as his “mountaintop” speech at the historic Mason Temple. Of
course, there were many prophetic words espoused by the visionary leader that night – but there is one particular part of his speech that has always stood out to me over the years. It's the part where Dr. King talked about his visit to Israel. Dr. King describes the drive he once took along with his wife, Coretta, in a rental car down the meandering road from Jerusalem to Jericho. He talked about what a dangerous road it was, even in modern times. He talked about the man in Jesus’s parable (and you all know the story) who had been beaten and robbed along that road, and left for dead. And Dr. King said that night that he could understand why the priest and the Levite who passed by might have said, “If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?”
But then, Dr. King said, “the Good Samaritan came by. And he reversed the question: ‘If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?’”
That’s such a profound way to think about one’s duty to others. In fact, it was Dr. King’s insistence on living by that principle that brought him to Memphis that spring. Some of his advisers didn’t want him to come to Memphis and lend support to the sanitation workers’ strike. They thought it would distract from what they thought was the “bigger picture” – his work on the Poor People’s Campaign. And I believe Dr. King's decision was akin to taking the detour and traveling on what he saw as America's Damascus Road at the time – which happened to take him from Atlanta to Memphis – with the ultimate destination being the road to Washington, DC to head the Poor People's Campaign demonstration.
Stanford University historian and King scholar Clayborne Carson said later about King’s choice to come here: “If he failed to stop and help this campaign of sanitation workers in Memphis, then he would be like the priest who walked by the person on the roadside who needed help. Instead, he wanted to be like the Good Samaritan, who went to Memphis and helped those who were desperately in need of outside help and attention.”
Well we all know that Dr. King died the very next day after giving his “mountaintop” speech. And his death was no doubt an unspeakable tragedy. But, MIFA, and those of us assembled here this morning, are living proof that Dr. King's passing was not in vain. In the wake of his assassination, 13 community clergy members – black, white, from varied denominations – came together to ask the same question the Good Samaritan asked: “If we do not come together to help this community heal, to help those less fortunate, and to carry on the vision, mission, and work of Dr. King, what will happen?” And in September 1968, MIFA was born. Its first Board consisted of male, female, black and white members, from across varied socio-economic lines – committed citizens from the inner city to the suburbs of Memphis and Shelby County.
You don’t need me to tell you that 43 years later, MIFA is a premier social service agency in our great city. From the Plus-1 utilities program, to Meals on Wheels, to MIFA Housing Opportunities, to the MIFA transit program, and the COOL college readiness program – MIFA serves over 55,000 members of our community every year. It’s impossible to imagine our city now without MIFA. In fact, I think this is a good time to pause and give MIFA a hand for the great work it provides in “serving” our community.
And it’s also a distinct honor for me to be with you today as you announce the finalists in another terrific MIFA program – the Martin Luther King Oratorical Contest. I want to recognize and congratulate each of the finalists. Let's give them and their families a hand. I commend each of you for the care and attention you took in putting together your speeches, and I wish you all the best as you practice and develop your oratorical skills – as you all are the future of our City and Nation.
You were asked to write speeches on Dr. King’s legacy of leadership, service, moral character, and unity. I’d like to add to your excellent work with some thoughts on what Dr. King’s legacy means to me.
First, leadership. Dr. King’s experiences taught me that being a leader means taking advantage of the opportunities that lie before you, while remaining humble in the face of greater responsibility.
I’ve learned that through my own experiences. And as each of the honorees this morning, I am a proud product of the public schools in Memphis – from pre-school to law school, I was educated right here in this city. In 2010, President Obama nominated me to be the United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee. I am now the chief federal law enforcement officer in this district, and along with my staff, I am responsible for pursuing justice against those who violate federal laws and otherwise representing the interests of the United States of America in court. It was honor to be considered, and even more humbling to be chosen by the President to serve.
It’s a great job, and every day my office and staff strive to make a positive difference in the community. We have to make tough decisions every day – decisions for which ultimately I have to be accountable. For example, pursuant to the law, we have to ask, can we vigorously seek justice against the guilty and protect the innocent? Who should we charge with federal crimes? What should we charge them with? Do we accept a plea deal with a violent criminal? For how long should we recommend they be sentenced? Under what circumstances should we seek the death penalty in one case, but not another?
There are no easy answers to these questions, but in my role as a leader, my goal is to stay focused, work hard, and use the values, skills, judgment and integrity that I have learned along the way to make the right decision.
Second, service. We all have a duty to give back to our communities – whether it’s mentoring a young person; volunteering in your neighborhood; or serving the public when called. You don’t have to be a teacher to teach and you don’t have to be a minister to minister to others. As Dr. King said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: ‘What are you doing for others’?” He didn't say the question is, how much money do you make, or what is the amount of material things you have accumulated. He didn't say the question is, what part of town do you live in and how many people know your name. And while obtaining a good education is key and vitally important in succeeding in a global economy – Dr. King didn't say the ultimate question is how many degrees and letters you have in front of and behind your name.
But again, in Dr. King's mind, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?”
The people who work here at MIFA, and the volunteers who are crucial to MIFA’s success, know all about service to one’s fellow man and woman. And you are all here today because you know that a national holiday for Dr. King is not just a reason to stay home from school or work, but an opportunity to ask ourselves – how we can serve each other better?
MIFA provides a way for those more fortunate to lend a hand to those left out or left behind. It’s not a stretch to say that as MIFA goes, so goes Memphis. MIFA is part of what makes Memphis such a great place to live, work and worship, because of the way it demonstrates to us all on a daily basis how to serve our fellow citizens. And MIFA helps ensure that Dr. King’s legacy of service will not be forgotten in this city.
Third, moral character. For me, Dr. King’s moral legacy is his challenge to us to never settle for taking the easy or popular way out. Young people and guests, just as Dr. King exemplified through his actions, we too must be willing to stand up in season and out of season for what we believe and know is right – as opposed to what is perceived as popular at the time.
Dr. King once said: “On some positions, Cowardice asks the question, ‘Is it safe?’ Expediency asks the question, ‘Is it politic?’ And Vanity comes along and asks the question, ‘Is it popular?’ But Conscience asks the question ‘Is it right?’ And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must do it, because Conscience tells him it is right.”
In order to preserve Dr. King’s moral legacy I believe that we should never forget to remember the character of those who stood up for civil rights during the movement. In fact, why don't you say that with me: “Don't Forget ... To Remember.”
Remember those that prayed, marched, sacrificed and toiled so that future generations like you and I could have equal rights and access to the institutions and opportunities that are in front of us.
Nearly 15 years ago, some fraternity brothers of mine and Bernal’s came together to lead the charge to build a national memorial in Washington to one of our most esteemed Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity brothers – Dr. King. This past year, the memorial opened, and that’s something to be proud of. But the whole reason we have monuments is that we cannot forget to remember the contributions made by those who came before.
And we cannot forget to remember that to honor Dr. King we all have the responsibility to act with integrity in every decision we make –in our jobs, our families, and our community.
Don't forget to remember, that unity can prevail in the face of injustice. It was unity that defined the successes of the civil rights movement. Here in Memphis, not one of the more than 1,300 sanitation workers who went on strike in 1968 crossed the line.
Don't forget to remember what Dr. King told us in his letter from the Birmingham Jail – that “Lukewarm acceptance is more bewildering than outright rejection.”
The same goes for addressing the social problems of this city and this area. Don't forget to remember that MIFA was born out of a need to come together after the death of Dr. King. And that’s part of why MIFA remains so important to this city – it’s a vehicle for us to come together and help those in need. MIFA embodies what Dr. King knew: that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. We can come together and make Memphis the best city in the world, as long as we don’t forget to remember Dr. King’s legacy of leadership, service, character and unity.
As I take my seat, I want to leave you with these prophetic words that Dr. King left us with just hours before his untimely and senseless demise. In his mountaintop speech, while the rain poured down on Mason Temple and the thunder and lightning roared, he charged us all to: “Let us rise up with a greater readiness. Let us stand with a greater determination. And let us move on in these powerful days, these days of challenge to make America what it ought to be.”
I urge you on this beautiful Dr. Martin Luther King Day, to never forget to remember Dr. King’s legacy – so that we can stand together and make Memphis and our great community what it ought to be.
Thank you all again for inviting me to be with you today. And may God continue to bless each of you.