POUGHKEEPSIE – The 49th Annual Commemorative Service for Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by the Dutchess County African American Clergy Association was held at Beulah Baptist Church on Sunday.
The group, led by its President Rev. Dr. Jesse Bottoms, recalled its founding.
“Dr. King died in April of 1968, there was no community service that January, but there was one the following year,” Rev. Bottom said. He could only recall one time when the service was cancelled due to extremely dangerous weather conditions.
He has been very proud that each year the community is able to come together under the Dutchess County African American Clergy Association and its member churches to celebrate the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
In its formative years, the annual celebration was held at the Poughkeepsie High School. Bottoms recounted how it was even held at the Civic Center a couple of years prior to moving to its current locale at Beulah Baptist Church.
Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro, who attends annually, told those gathered that “words do matter.” He further exclaimed that King had the “audacity to think that his dream should be real. He had the audacity to use his words and actions to question those in power. He had the audacity to stand up to those who think they are better than us.”
We are called to press on, Molinaro said, sounding like a Baptist preacher and receiving responsive “Amen’s”.
“Press on towards the prize for which our God has called us. No one defines that. Our God defines that. We are to stand up. We are to seek the truth and we are to fight those who think they are better than us,” Molinaro said.
City of Poughkeepsie Mayor Rob Rolison said we need to reflect how far we have come and how far we have yet to go. That sentiment was echoed by the guest speaker Rev. Weldon Mc Williams, IV.
Rev. McWilliams, IV, who is also a professor at SUNY Dutchess, both preached and educated those in attendance on the Civil Rights Movement and Dr. King’s legacy. “We have gone from a movement to a monument. We must now go from a monument, back to a movement.”
He said that monuments can’t bring about change and that it’s easy for those in power (#45) today to sign proclamations about Dr. King as dead men can be celebrated as hero’s. “America has to stop acting like they loved Dr. King while he was down here on this earth.”
McWilliams final plea was for those listening to get involved. “We still need some drum majors for justice!”
Click Here to view Photo Gallery
![](https://hudsonvalleypress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Walden_Savings_Bank1.gif")
![](https://hudsonvalleypress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/FDR-Web.jpg")
