FRIARS POINT — The Friars Point Community Action Club planned a community march honoring Martin Luther King Day on Monday morning, but thanks to some last-minute preparation the day before, a much bigger celebration took place.
A Friars Point police car escorted residents in their vehicles to city hall due to weather conditions. Once everyone arrived at city hall, they were able to see children perform in a show in front of an audience illustrating many of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s accomplishments.
Janice Snerling of the Friars Point Community Action Club organized the show.
The show began with children acting out moments in history, beginning with a girl playing Linda Brown from Topeka, Kan. Brown helped end school segregation in schools with the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court case Brown vs. Board of Education, which integrated schools.
The next act was Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger on a city bus in Montgomery, Ala. That led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which sparked the civil rights movement where King had a strong influence and helped end segregation on city buses.
Jermesia George played Parks, while Car’zyrian Bee played the bus driver.
“Let him have the seat,” began the bus driver in the exchange.
“My feet hurt,” replied Parks.
“Let him have the seat,” said the bus driver once again.
“I paid my money for the seat,” said Parks in response.
“I said move,” said the bus driver standing his ground.
“I’m not moving. I’m in the colored section,” said a determined Parks.
After moving the “colored” sign, the bus driver said, “Now you’re in the all-white section. I need you to get up.”
“I’m not leaving,” said Parks again.
The bus driver escorted Parks off the bus. She was arrested for refusing to give up her seat.
During the “Who am I?” segment of the show, George staying in character as Parks and said, “I am known as the mother of civil rights movement.”
A march around a circle where the children held up signs including “I am a man” was the next activity.
The “Who am I?” activity was next where children would describe an influential African-American holding up a sign with that individual’s name.
African-American leaders mentioned included:
* John Brown, the first black sheriff elected in Coahoma County, who served from 1874-75;
* Lillian Humphries, the oldest living resident in Friars Point, who was born in 1918;
* Henry Espy Sr., the first black mayor of Clarksdale;
* James Washington, the current and first Friars Point black mayor, who was elected in 1977 and served three different times for a town record nine terms;
* Andrew Thompson the second black sheriff in Coahoma County, who served 21 years;
* Charles Jones, the current and third black sheriff in Coahoma County;
* Henry Espy II, also known as Chuck, who is the current Clarksdale mayor;
* Catherine Miller, who is a former Friars Point town clerk who served under Washington and then became the community’s first black female mayor by defeating Washington in the 2013 election;
* Barack Obama, the first African-American president of the United States;
* and Michelle Obama, the first African-American first lady.
Friars Point Community Action Club president Charles Fair said, “These young people are our future. Martin Luther King paved the way for them.”
Washington said, “I say to the young people who’s going to be leaders, please don’t take what you’ve done here today lightly. You’re going to grow up. Just make sure you go to school. Be obedient to your parents. Grow up and work and don’t let nobody tell you that you can’t become somebody. As long as you work and do your best and don’t worry about who gets the credit, you can become anybody. You can become anything you want to in life.”
Snerling appreciated everyone’s hard work.
“We thank each and every one of you for coming out,” she said. “Thank you for allowing me to work with your kids. It was a delight. We only got one practice in and that was yesterday. I think they did a great job.”
