Community members and elected officials gathered on Monday to commemorate the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Hosted by the Broome County MLK Commission, the celebration began with a march from the MLK statue at Peacemaker’s Square to the First Congregational Church for prayer, music and speeches.

Among those attending the service were Mayor Jared Kraham, Rep. Josh Riley, Broome County Executive Jason Garnar ‘99, Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo MA ‘84 and County Sheriff Fred Akshar.

At the church, Rev. Douglas Taylor of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Binghamton offered a prayer celebrating King’s life and asked for spiritual blessing. Rev. Jon Haack of the First Congregational Church then explained the church has a “long history of standing for causes of social justice in our community and beyond.” Afterward, singers from Mt. Sinai Church led the audience in musical praise.

Rev. Dr. Damond Wilson of the Trinity AME Zion Church, president of the Broome-Tioga chapter NAACP, told the crowd that many struggles at the heart of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s — like the right to vote — are still relevant today. He cited the treatment of immigrants and racist rhetoric in political campaigns as examples of ongoing injustice in the United States.

“We still have to fight to let people know that everyone has inherent worth and dignity,” Wilson said.

At the ceremony, a $500 scholarship was given to two local high school students on behalf of the MLK Commission.

Kraham also spoke at the ceremony, citing a quote by King inscribed on the south wall of his memorial in Washington, D.C.: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

He then pointed to some “sources of light” in the local area, including Binghamton University’s Harriet Tubman Center for Freedom and Equity and the Downtown Binghamton Freedom Trail, which help preserve and celebrate Black history. In March, the center unveiled [HYPERLINK: https://www.bupipedream.com/news/ht-statue/164326/] a statue of Harriet Tubman at the University Downtown Center as part of the freedom trail.

A representative from Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office attended and highlighted the significance of the ceremony ending as a community in a place of worship.

Riley spoke next and briefly recounted his time as a civil rights attorney in the South and his experience representing the local community in Congress.

“Our politics have become so corrupt that the establishment running Washington does more to serve itself than serve the people,” Riley said. “That’s economic injustice, that is political injustice, and it is why it is so important at this moment, on this day, that we stop and reflect on Dr. King’s teaching because Dr. King taught us that whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. In other words, we’re all in this together.”

Riley also mentioned his co-sponsorship of the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and criticized federal spending cuts to Medicaid and public health programs.

State Sen. Lea Webb ‘04, whose name was included in the service program, was not in attendance. Lupardo, who announced on Jan. 8 she will not seek reelection [HYPERLINK: Lupardo article] after over 12 years in the state assembly, told attendees that King’s work should encourage people to fight against injustice even during uncertain times.

After Garnar spoke, Akshar approached the podium to deliver remarks. Several attendees walked out of the room, while others stood up and turned their backs toward him. One woman stood up and protested Akshar’s attendance at the event.

Akshar acknowledged that many of those who attended the service disagreed with him, but said he always strived to “keep an ongoing dialog with many community leaders here” since he was a state senator. He said that since he became sheriff, his office has hired and promoted more African Americans and other people of color in its ranks.

“Tonight, I ask simply one thing of the people in this room — please, let us not fear more,” Akshar said. “Let us not become separate. We should not find ourselves only seeing each other through the lens of trouble.”

Rev. Arthur Jones of Mount Sinai Church of God in Christ introduced Pastor Jeffery Simmons, Sr., who founded the Renewal of Life COGIC in Palmyra, New York, as the night’s guest speaker. Simmons discussed how King was influenced by other peace activists like Mahatma Gandhi.

Before concluding the service, attendees sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” a hymn often referred to as the “Black National Anthem.”

“May Dr. King’s dream become our daily realities, moving us from celebration to action,” read part of a prayer recited before the service ended.