by S. Rotan Hale
A crowd of supporters braved the bitter cold Monday, Jan. 20 and packed the banquet hall at Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center for the Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast sponsored by the local chapter of the North Carolina A&T State University Alumni Association.
The event, now in its 26th year, is one of the most anticipated local celebrations of its kind that typically attracts a who’s, who of local officials, certain dignitaries and a host of others.
The program was moderated by Junius Hughes, Jr. and is one of many celebrations held throughout the valley and the nation, honoring the life and legacy of the famed civil rights leader.
“We’re here for a purpose, to remember someone (MLK) who not only changed the landscape of this country but perhaps changed the landscape of the world. Martin Luther King made an indelible mark on history not just regarding people of color but all people,” said Hughes during his opening remarks.
On program was Maya West, an NAACP ACT-SO Olympian and William Fleming graduate who recited an original poem “Kings and Queens. Also Phazhon Nash, the youngest person to be elected to Roanoke City Council in the recent election, reflected on “what Dr. King means to him.”
Nash said, as a young man his introduction to MLK was through a movie watched in school “Our Friend Martin,” an animated educational (1998) film about the life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr.
The film, though elementary, points out how young Martin, despite knowing his future plight, (assassination) courageously continues his fight for civil rights which ultimately led to his demise.
“To me ladies and gentlemen, that is the ultimate sign of what a hero is – one who puts the needs and wellbeing of others before themselves,” said Nash.
Keynote speaker for the event was none other than Dr. Mary Hinton, the 13th president of Hollins University, and the first African American to head the elite school for girls located on the outskirts of Roanoke.
Dr. Hinton is an accomplished author of several books and a seasoned orator whose speech was nothing less than a comprehensive journey to empowerment.
“She opened most intriguing mentioning expressions of “disappointment, bewilderment, anger, fear, loss, grief and betrayal” to which she said were the “words and emotions heard many times in response to the removal of Black History from school books, the reversal of voting rights and the terrorism that plagues our communities.”
As a North Carolina, native she spoke of growing up in the post Jim Crow south where the “vestiges of that era loomed large” over her life that was hindered by race and inequity and therefore framed her perspective to a great degree.
“The high school counselor who told me that Black women don’t go to college, remains my most poignant reminder of inequity,” she explained.
Her dynamic presentation of inspiring principles, backed by a series of powerpoint slides served as a pathway encouraging action in support of King’s proverbial “beloved community.”
Digging deeper into the war on “woke” and the mitigation of the contributions of Blacks, she said “Some states have not only tried but succeeded in erasing the teaching of Black History. Some, especially on this day in 2025, will tell you that our contributions are irrelevant, invisible and inconsequential.
That said, she, like many speakers at MLK celebrations this year, made a direct reference to the infamous nature of the Trump inauguration (in progress) in Washington DC, saying, “A rampant misunderstanding about Martin Luther King Day is on display right now.”
Point after point she boldly proceeded to push her case for “a brighter, more collective future” for all, urging everyone to extend themselves beyond the mission as we celebrate “the man (King) and the movement!”
President Hinton urges us to seek a deeper understanding of life. Her spirit is one of a born leader with clearly a genuine connection to those things that really matter like the supreme power of love of which she speaks.
Considering this current state of political and societal disconnection in which we now live, messengers of her caliber stand strong as a direct threat to those who actually threaten the very precepts of decency. Such messengers, in all of their inestimable strength, are unequivocally, not only vital to the stability of a balanced society but are the true path to King’s “beloved community.”
