Inspirational words, arts highlight VGCC’s Martin Luther King celebration
Vance-Granville Community College held its annual celebration of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday on Jan. 15 in the college’s Civic Center, featuring contributions from students, faculty and staff members.
Serving as mistress of ceremonies was VGCC Workforce Investment Act director Blondelle Edgerton, a member of the college’s Global Awareness Committee, which sponsored the event. An invocation by VGCC Male Mentoring program coordinator Dr. Tolokun Omokunde was followed by remarks from the college president, Dr. Stelfanie Williams. “Dr. King would have been 85 years old today,” Dr. Williams said. “It’s fitting that an educational institution like ours, which was created to open the doors of opportunity for all, would honor a man who believed deeply in expanding access to the American dream.”
Roberta Scott, coordinator of the VGCC Adult High School Diploma program and a member of the Warren County Board of Education, was the guest speaker. Scott was a participant in the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where Dr. King delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. “There were hundreds of thousands of people of all races, creeds, colors, religions and ages, including me and my family,” she recalled. “It was a hot day in August, and oftentimes when it’s hot, people get upset, but the throngs of people marched peacefully, chanting and singing joyously through the nation’s capital, my native home….To have been an active part of historic change, led in peace and nonviolence by Dr. King, was awe-inspiring.” She encouraged all attendees to advance King’s dream through “service to all mankind.”
Following Scott were presentations by several VGCC students who entered a competition, in which they could write speeches, poems or short plays, or create works of visual art, in response to this year’s topic. Since the 1963 March on Washington helped lead to the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act, students’ entries were intended to focus on how those two landmark laws subsequently impacted the rights and privileges of Americans. A panel of judges — consisting of VGCC Dean of Business & Applied Technologies Angela Gardner-Ragland, Dean of Health Sciences Angela Thomas and academic advisor Herbert Washington — awarded three cash prizes to students. First place went to John Britton II, a Radiography student from Durham, for his poem, “Interpretation of the Dream.” Bria Perry of Bunn, a Franklin County Early College High School student, placed second for her speech, which concluded with her singing a verse of a spiritual. Finally, Karlee Pilcher of Wake Forest, a College Transfer student, won the third-place prize for her painting that featured a colorful depiction of Dr. King.
Other student finalists (selected from 23 entries) included Michael Alston of Kittrell and Cheryl White of Henderson (both of whom submitted poems), Angelique Taylor of Macon (who submitted a speech), and Dajuan Harrison of Henderson and Tameka Ruffin of Franklinton (both of whom submitted visual artwork).
Inspirational music was provided by a choir consisting of VGCC students, faculty and staff, under the direction of Public Services department chair Steven Hargrove. The group performed “My Worship is For Real” and then asked all attendees to join in singing the civil rights anthem, “We Shall Overcome.”
Above: From left, the second-place prize winner, Bria Perry of Bunn, and the first-place prize winner, John Britton II of Durham, joined by Dr. Stelfanie Williams, the president of VGCC. Not pictured: Karlee Pilcher of Wake Forest (third place). (VGCC photo)
