Martin Luther King Jr. Day Pot Luck Breakfast

Jonesboro, Ark. -- Today, January 21, some of the young families in Jonesboro, Ark., celebrated Martin Luther King Jr day by going to the Second Annual Martin Luther King, Jr Pot Luck Breakfast at the Community Center. The turn out this year was twice what it was last year. This is in spite of the below freezing temperatures that we woke up to this morning.

There was no admission fee charged. Everyone was asked to simply bring a breakfast dish. The food was great. There were casseroles, pancakes, waffles, cereal, burritos, grits, eggs, a wonderful selection of meat, and many more things. There was also a wide variety of this to drink available.

The atmosphere was very casual and kid friendly. Most of the people there were in jeans and sweatshirts. The kids ran around playing games. The babies got a lot of attention. It was a very good family atmosphere even though most of us had never met before.

Once the kids had a chance to play and everyone ate until they were full, we had the privilege to listen to a wonderful presentation to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life and his dedication to helping firmly establish racial harmony in our wonderful country. The presentation was done by children of all ages.

The first thing presented was a video presentation that highlighted Dr. King's life and work. It was put together by a group of local high school students. It was very through and organized but, it was in no way boring.

Next, the younger children entertained us with a play that showcased the differences in race relations in different time periods from pre-Civil War to the current day. It was very obvious that a lot of time and effort had been put into researching and developing the play. This was written by a group of junior high and high school students.

Marcus Thomas, a local history buff read Dr. King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech. He was so full of passion and emotion that I found myself with tears in my eyes.

Lastly, we were treated to a selection of children reciting heartfelt essays that they wrote that depicted what Dr. King's work meant to them. These essays had many in the room crying because they were so open and honest.

By far, the best tribute to Dr. King's work was just seeing the families of all races and nationalities celebrating in harmony. It was a great sight to see the kids all playing and laughing.

The only way that we can help to see Dr. King's dream come full circle is to teach our kids that we are all equal. That is what this breakfast was all about and that is the true meaning of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.