The lower level of Storz Pavilion at Nebraska Medical Center was filled for the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day program on Monday. Since 1986, our country has observed Martin Luther King Day Jr. to celebrate the birthday of the civil rights movement activist.
Ben Gray, president of the Omaha City Council, provided a keynote presentation under the program’s theme of “All Life is Inter-related.” Gray talked about the importance of embracing our voice and communication between people of all backgrounds to further progress.
“There’s been a lot of progress for minorities since the time of the Civil Rights Movement, but people will argue how much progress has been made and how much farther do we still need to go?” Gray said.
Gray pointed to Dr. King’s quote about being less concerned with the vitriolic words of the bad people, but being more concerned about the silence of the good people.
“There’s evil and prejudice in the world that we have to stand guard against and continue to address it,” Gray said. “We cannot continue to be silent. When we don’t address bigotry and problems like that, they continue to fester and grow.”
Gray added we can use our voice by voting for representation, challenging friends, family and neighbors when we hear them say or do something inappropriate, and becoming engaged within our community.
The latter has been happening in Omaha in recent years, and Gray said the city has served as an example to others.
“In spite of everything we see happening in the world, change for the good is happening in Omaha,” the city council president said. “We’ve come together to help reduce gun violence the past five years and reduce the unemployment rate in the African-American community in Omaha from 16 percent to less than 7 percent. We have engaged in relationships with police officers. We are on the move and things are happening.”
Another example that Gray gave of the progress the city has made is the revitalization of neighborhoods, such as the area near the North Freeway.
“That was an effort that showed people of mixed income residents can live together and do something about education. We cannot strangle education. It is the key to us knowing who we are and understanding why our differences make us angry at each other at times. Education is key to help us be better citizens and take hold of what is ours — the city.
“We have to continue to work together, build together, talk with each other and understand our history and move forward and make this community and nation what we know it can be,” Gray said. “The only way you can defeat hate is with love, understanding and knowledge.”
Thank you!