MLK Day speaker: Build bridges instead of walls

The Rev. Joe Leavell, senior pastor of Mount Olive Baptist Church and a student of Lexington Theological Seminary, gave the keynote address Monday for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day commemoration at Hopkinsville Community College. He spoke about tearing down walls and building bridges to achieve King’s dream of racial equality and justice. 

“I love this quote by Dr. King. He says, ‘Let’s build bridges instead of walls,’” said Leavell. “… the God I serve, we don’t build walls, we tear walls down.”

He cited examples of building bridges in the local community, including the Rotary Scholars program that provides two years tuition-free at Hopkinsville Community College for local high school graduates. He also noted two minority mentoring programs in the community, Men2Be and Lipstick After Dark, whose members were part of the audience in the HCC Auditorium. 

“Bridges are meant to connect. Bridges help you cross. Bridges allow you to see land that you have never seen before,” said Leavell. “What my mother would say to me is that the Lord I serve is a bridge over troubled waters.”

The MLK program also included the presentation of the Tom Bell State Farm School Challenge traveling trophy to Christian County High School for best student participation among local schools. 

In addition, HRC recognized several students who entered art to commemorate the holiday. 

Raychel Farmer, HRC executive director, said more than 300 entries were received — the most in any year for the local observance. The art pieces, including many drawings of MLK, were displayed in the auditorium gallery. 

The winners recognized are:

Pre-K – 2^nd Grade

• 1^st Place : Alayna Travis, 2^nd Grade, Indian Hills Elementary School
• 2^nd Place: Tilly Maye Myers, Kindergarten, Sinking Fork Elementary School
• 3^rd Place: Jade Burney, 1^st Grade, Sinking Fork Elementary School

3^rd – 5^th Grade

• 1^st Place: Avery Reynolds, 5^th Grade, Heritage Christian Academy
• 2^nd Place: DaMari Carter, 4^th Grade, Freedom Elementary School
• 3^rd Place: Mylah Castro, 4^th Grade, Freedom Elementary School
• 3^rd Place: Rosalie Dodson, 4^th Grade, Sinking Fork Elementary School

6^th – 8^th Grade

• 1^st Place: Hadley Mathis, 6^th Grade, University Heights Academy
• 2^nd Place: Kora Stiles, 6^th Grade, University Heights Academy
• 3^rd Place: Harper Kidd, 8^th Grade, Christian County Middle School

Ninth – 12^th Grade

• 1^st Place: Sophia Wilson, 12^th Grade, Christian County High School
• 2^nd Place: Carly Armstrong, 11^th Grade, Christian County High School
• 3^rd Place: Vincent Ellerbee, 12^th Grade, Hopkinsville High School
• 3^rd Place: Kalaiah Nance, 10^th Grade, Christian County High School

Honorable Mention:

• A.J. Smith, 9^th Grade, Hopkinsville High School
• Jonatha Gamboa, 10^th Grade, Christian County High School

Jennifer P. Brown

Hoptown Chronicle

Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.