Martin Luther King day observed in DeFuniak Springs

ATTORNEY FRANZ CHAVANNES was one of two guest speakers at the Martin Luther King Jr. Day event honoring the civil rights leader. The event was held at Everlasting Word Church in DeFuniak Springs. (Photo by Jeffrey Powell)
ATTORNEY FRANZ CHAVANNES was one of two guest speakers at the Martin Luther King Jr. Day event honoring the civil rights leader. The event was held at Everlasting Word Church in DeFuniak Springs. (Photo by Jeffrey Powell)

Story and photos by JEFFREY POWELL

On Monday, Jan. 18, residents of DeFuniak Springs came together to observe the federal holiday dedicated to honoring civil rights legend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. Although his actual birthday is on Jan. 15, this is the day that was designated as a holiday by then-president Ronald Reagan in 1983. The event was sponsored by Everlasting Word Church and was well attended by people of various ethnic backgrounds. After a brunch was served Pastor Russell Hughes introduced the day’s first guest speaker, Pastor Kenneth Harrison. Harrison was a pastor in Selma, Ala. from 1961-1971 and met Dr. King before the 1963 march to Montgomery.
“This is the 50th anniversary of the march from Selma to Montgomery,” Harrison told the crowd. “I witnessed what took place in Selma, I was there. Selma became the focal point for civil rights in America and I, along with other preachers, met with Dr. King. It was not a long meeting but it did not need to be. He was the smartest man I ever met. He was willing to pay the price and he did. He did something that had to be done. Yes, times have changed but not enough. Right is right, we are all kin and that should make us color-blind.”
The second speaker of the day was attorney and civil rights specialist Franz Chavannes. Chavannes covered the difficulties many people of color experience when they become involved in the criminal justice system and the rights they forfeit by this involvement.
“One in three black men can expect to go to prison in America,” said Chavannes. “People should be accountable for their actions but once they have served their time their rights should be returned to them. We have to depend on the law to be both reactive and pro-active. We have to decide whether we are part of the problem or part of the solution. We have to change the country’s perception of race relations. The Selma march was a first step not the last step.”
After a brief question and answer session the program ended with everyone singing “Lift Every Voice,” and a prayer for peace.
“This has been a learning experience for me and my grandchildren,” said attendee Frances Gorman. “ I wanted them to understand where we have been and where we are today. There has been positive change and I believe people are more accepting than they used to be.”