By MADDY VITALE
Rev. Gregory Johnson, of Shiloh Baptist Church, delivered a message that there is much to be done to end hatred, bigotry and divisiveness. There is also much more to be done if we want to live up to the hopes, the dreams, and follow the guidance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., he said.
Rev. Johnson captivated the audience with his recitation of Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech from the stage of the Music Pier during Ocean City’s celebration of King’s life and his legacy Monday.
“In 2022, we still have some mountains we have to climb. We still have some tears that we have to shed. But if we just keep the faith, joy always comes in the morning,” he said.
Each year, the program, hosted by the city, brings the community together to remember Dr. King through prayers and song.
Video courtesy of Ocean City
Last year, due to COVID-19 pandemic, the event was brought to the community on Zoom. This year, people also had the option to view it on Zoom.
“We are here this afternoon to celebrate the life and legacy of our dear friend, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., with a day of service to remember the things that he had done as we celebrate his life,” Rev. Johnson told the audience.
“It’s not how long you live, but how honest you live as you’re living,” he said.
He spoke of the day when Dr. King gave his monumental “I Have a Dream” speech from Washington, D.C., some 59 years ago.
“Dr. King went on and reminded us that day, that even though we face some difficult moments in that life and this life today, he had a dream,” Rev. Johnson said.
And in that dream, there would be no hungry children, there would be no racism. There would be no bigotry. There would be no divisiveness. There would be no hatred, he said.
“I stopped by this Music Pier today. I witnessed the ocean, the tides rising high. As my mind reflects on my friend, Dr. King, I am challenged to think of what Dr. King would say of America today,” Rev. Johnson said, speaking of the rough seas resulting from a coastal storm Sunday night into Monday morning.
He asked the audience if Dr. King’s dream still lives today.
“If Dr. King was here in this Music Pier, he would say to you, ‘I have tears in my eyes from how this country is divided,’” he said.
Rev. Johnson reflected about some of the problems in America today. Children are going to bed without food. There is hatred, bigotry and jealousy, and yet, the dream still lives on, he pointed out.
“There is much that we must do,” he said.
“Until we come together, the fight is not over. Even if you have to fight by yourself, keep the faith. Whatever you do, keep the faith,” Rev. Johnson emphasized. “Free at last, free at last. Thank God almighty, we are free at last. We will never be free until you and I are able to walk into freedom together.”
During the program, Rev. Marcia Stanford, a pastor at Macedonia United Methodist Communities and chaplain at The Shores Communities, delivered the opening remarks and closing prayer.
“This is a day of services where we help to raise awareness and provide new ways. Under COVID that has changed,” Rev. Stanford said. “The MLK Day of service is intended to empower and bridge barriers, create solutions to social problems and move closer to Dr. King’s vision of a beloved community.”
She described what is at the heart of the day.
“A beloved community, that which Dr. King strived for, loved for and died for, starts not with the active service, but with the heart of the one who renders service,” she said.
Rev. Stanford asked the attendees to keep the Pratt family in their prayers. Joe Pratt, an active man in the church and community, who received a Martin Luther King Community Services Award in 2020, passed away. She spoke of how he was an important part of the community and that he will be missed.
Each year, residents are honored for the work that they do with the Martin Luther King Community Services Awards.
OCNJ CARE volunteer and benefactor Bill McGinnity, the Rev. Drena Garrett of St. James AME Church, and Greater Ocean City Theatre Company Artistic Director and Founder Michael Hartman were this year’s recipients.
Mayor Jay Gillian spoke of the importance of each of the recipients for their contributions.
He noted that Rev. Garrett could not attend but he brought the service award to her. A video was played of the mayor speaking with her.
“With her faith every day, her church and all the things she does in town. Drena has been an important part of the ceremony each year.”
Rev. Garrett said on the video, “I thank you and the city and the committee for even nominating me.”
Hartman created OCTC 15 years ago.
Gillian noted that because of Hartman and his work with OCTC, he has helped hundreds of Ocean City children foster friendships and showcase their talents.
Hartman, who was raised in Ocean City, said it was his way of giving back and helping others who may not have fit in at school. He spoke of some difficult times he had while in school in the community. He said he went away to college but came back to his hometown for a purpose.
“I was meant to be here to help others grow – free from bullying,” Hartman noted.
He asked himself, “What are you doing for others?” when he decided to return to Ocean City.
Maybe his tough times in school had to happen, he said, maybe it was because his higher purpose was to return and to help others.
He said how the OCTC has helped to enhance tourism in the community because of its family-friendly entertainment.
McGinnity, who owns Cousin’s Restaurant in Ocean City, provides meals to help those less fortunate and works with OCNJ CARE to deliver the food. He also prepares hot meals for the veterans in the VFW for the holidays.
“He truly deserves this,” Gillian said of McGinnity’s selection as an award winner.
McGinnity joked that he attended the ceremony because they would not mail him the award. He is known for being low key about the things that he does for the community.
“I will continue to do what I do because I love Ocean City,” he said.
During the ceremony, Leon Hart, of Coastal Christian in Ocean City, and his daughters, Alexis and Gabrielle, performed. Hart sang the song by Mercy Me, “I Can Only Imagine.”
The audience erupted in applause after his performance. Hart and his daughters sang the last song of the program together, “One Day.”
Also during the ceremony, four students from the Ocean City Intermediate School read their award-winning essays about the impact Dr. King has had in all lives.
Nolan Arceo, Sydney Halliday, Sarah McAlister and Borana Bixha were the winning students. While their essays were all different, they all touched upon the crucial impact Dr. King’s leadership in the civil rights movement had on a community then and now.
Jonathan Gonzalez, director of Youth Ministries at the Ocean City Tabernacle, also spoke of Dr. King’s legacy.
He spoke of how Dr. King believed God had a plan for him. “God will go before you, walk behind you, beside you,” Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez also said that God has a plan for everyone and that no matter if someone does great big things or little things great, it is all about how you do what is right and what is good.
The ceremony attracted dignitaries from the local, county and state level.
They included state Sen. Michael Testa, state Assemblymen Antwan McClellan and Erik Simonsen, Cape May County Commissioner E. Marie Hayes and City Councilmembers Bob Barr, Keith Hartzell, Karen Bergman, Pete Madden, Tom Rotondi, Jody Levchuk and Terry Crowley Jr. Michael Allegretto, aide to the mayor, served as emcee of the ceremony.
Testa, McClellan and Simonsen presented state proclamations to the Martin Luther King Community Award recipients, Michael Hartman and Bill McGinnity, while Hayes honored them with a county proclamation.
The event was followed by a complimentary soul food luncheon in the Music Pier solarium.
The late Rozelia Cobb, an Ocean City Intermediate School special education teacher, organized the inaugural Dr. Martin Luther King Ceremony in Ocean City more than 30 years ago.
Each year, the ceremony follows a volunteer citywide cleanup that part of the celebration.
