Pottstown's Online King Celebration Offers Hope

The COVD-19 pandemic has taken many things from us including, this year, the annual celebration of the life of Martin Luther King Jr.

For years, this has been a major event in Pottstown, bringing people together to celebrate the message that we must all work together, and recognize that we must live up to the creed that we are all equal under the eyes of the law.

Vocalist Denia Bullock performed live.

With the Black Lives Matter protests which swept the nation, and the world last year, in the wake of the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, this year's event had the potential to be a catharsis.

But safety must prevail in times of communicable illness.

Undeterred, the Pottstown chapter of the NAACP, or more specifically its religious affairs committee, did what all successful organisms do when faced with obstacles, they adapted.

Like educators, local officials and services at their own church services, the celebration of the Nobel Prize winner was taken online, livestreamed through the Facebook site of Kingdom Life Church in Pottstown.

Perhaps the most welcome visitor was Bishop Everett Debnam, the past of Invictus Ministries.

Last year's celebration, held in person at Mount Olive Baptist Church, was held in honor of Debnam who was very ill in the hospital and could only attend by watching on an iPad.

What a difference a year makes, and in 2021, Debnam, now recovered, delivered his words of encouragement from his office while we all watched online.

Both Debnam and Pastor Terrance Paul of Fresh Start Ministries, issued calls to action, urging those who see injustice to take action to correct it.

"If there's light, we must be the light, because the God I serve has said 'you are the light of the world.' Don't charge other people to do what you are supposed to do," Debnam said. 

Pastor Terrance Paul

"Wherever light comes in, darkness must flee. "Even though it might look dark, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, we must keep pressing forward," said Debnam.

That faith, said Paul, is at the root of the right actions. King's "faith came before his accomplishments."

King could have "preached about the injustices every week, but his faith pushed him and poked him to do something about it. He moved from lip service to public service," Paul preached.

The Rev. William H. Ball, III

The Rev. William H. Ball III, pastor of Mt. Olive Baptist Church, asked an ever-more relevant set of questions: "Are people ever going to judge you by the content of your character, rather than the color of your skin? Will conservatives and the left ever find common ground? Will church come back together when all this is over?" 

"People," said Ball, and the nation "are divided almost right down the middle."

But the inauguration Wednesday, not only of Joe Biden as the next president, but of Kamala Harris, provide hope.

Lincoln University Choir

The inauguration of Harris, the first African-American vice president and first female vice president, shows "we are making progress," Ball preached.

Music was provided, through recordings, by the Lincoln University Choir which, last year, performed in person.

But vocalist and recording artist Denia Bullock performed several songs live, including "I Shall Remain," which the Rev. Darryl Brown, who acted as host, declared to be one of his favorite songs.

Also on hand was the Christian Club of Montgomery County Community College, whose members offered Bible versus, some in different languages, and personal reflections of faith, how the pandemic has affected that faith, and how that faith has helped them keep going.

Pottstown Mayor Stephanie Henrick addressed the tough times we currently face by quoting King.

"Even in the darkest of times, there's hope," she said. "Dr. King said we must learn to live together as brothers, or perish together as fools."

Another elected leader who had a message to provide was U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-4th Dist., who recently survived the assault on the Capitol on Jan. 6 and is now a "manager" in the second impeachment trial of President Donald Trump in the Senate.

Dean said she is "heartbroken for our country. The nation is reeling from 4 years of hateful rhetoric." 

She made woeful not of stark difference between the attack on the Capitol and the peaceful march on Washington where King spoke. 

"We do his work not because it is easy, but because it is right," said Dean. 

Johnny Corson, president of the Pottstown chapter of the NAACP, noted that King often spoke of "the fierce urgency of now."

And what now has shown us was how the "virus of racism combined with the virus of COVID-19 to show how unequal things are. How unequal medical care is. How unequal education is," said Corson.

"When it was people suffering and hurting, we came together," says Corson, citing the many Pottstown pastors who contacted each other and said "let's get together and pray." 

Johnny Corson, Pottstown NAACP President

He highlighted the many churches which have raised money and collected food for those who have lost work, or even housing, due to the economic impact the virus closures have had.

Corson said "my brothers at the mosque on High Street" recently gave out $1,000 worth of food. "That's what Dr. King said, it's about serving," said Corson. 

"I watched a guy named Troy who said he wanted to do a peaceful march in June when everyone said Pottstown could never do that, and the NAACP stood behind him and we brought 3,000 people 2 Pottstown and  walked together to say Black Lives Matter," Corson said. 

"People are dying from the virus of racism, just like they are dying from the virus of COVID-19," he said.

Which is why action and help are needed, said the Rev. Garrison Lockley, pastor of Bethel AME Church, who, as a member of the religious affairs committee, helped organize last night's event.

The Rev. Garrison Lockley

"There is somebody that is on a ventilator tonight, trying to breathe. We ask that you breathe life into them" Lockley prayed. "People are out of jobs, high unemployment. People are grieving with heartache, lost of loved ones. We need you today."

"Somebody needs you tonight. somebody is going through depression and has suicidal thoughts. We need your divine power tonight, to do what you do best," Lockley prayed. "We need you to change things tonight. We know that you can do it."

"Stay the course, and know that your faith will prevail. This too shall pass," said Lockey. "Show them there is a brighter hope and a future that awaits us."

Click here to see the Tweets from last night's celebration.