Events honored the civil rights icon and celebrated community spirit.
For Kamiyah Richardson, a third grade student at Lincoln Elementary Magnet School, being able to read a poem from a book her grandfather, Johnnie Lee Richardson Jr., gave her when she was five-years-old, at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration Monday at the Bing Rooming House Museum, was a special experience.
She has grown up hearing stories about how her great grandmother, affectionately known as “Grandma B,” gave birth to her son (her grandfather) on April 15, 1968, less than two weeks after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4. She was 19 at the time and recalls how at nine-months pregnant she joined others in the Plant City community as they marched in the streets after his death.
The book, “Who Was Martin Luther King Jr.?,” is a cherished possession of Richardson’s. Her grandfather passed away on Feb. 17, 2023. “The book taught me about how Dr. King stood for justice,” said Richardson. After the reading, she sang “Happy Birthday” to Dr. King. Her rendition garnered crowd support and soon everyone’s voices joined the song.
In addition to Richardon, the event, organized by the Woman’s Club of Plant City, also included a musical performance by songstress Lena Morisseau and a monologue by local resident Kimberly Banks.
Banks performed an original piece titled “Just Thinking,” inspired by Rosa Parks’ journey and written to help younger generations realize the sacrifice of the brave men and women who came before them who made possible the opportunities they have today. “I’m sure Rosa Parks didn’t know when she sat on that bus that day she would change so many lives. Being able to share the spark God gave me made me understand how we’re never too small or too old to make a difference,” said Banks. “It’s an important message to remember our history and carry it on by telling somebody about it.”
Commissioner Jason Jones also shared remarks to the standing-room only crowd. “Thank you from the city and my fellow commissioners to all the volunteers who made this possible,” he said. “It’s events like this that make Plant City so special.”
The event capped off a weekend-long celebration that included an opening ceremony, a parade, a drumline competition where Tampa Bay Tech took first place in the high school age group, Dowdell Middle School placed first in the middle school age group and Lockhart Elementary placed first in the elementary age group, and leadership breakfast, where two local students, Nyla Barnum and Shelina Persad, won $4,000 scholarships and community leadership awards were bestowed to several organizations.
Dozens of community members made the events possible, a feat that would have inspired even Dr. King. “This is the life and legacy of Dr. King,” said Improvement League of Plant City President William Thomas, Jr. “It’s about community working together.”
