Dream alive at local Functions

Males are born, but men are made.

Long hours are great, but what you put in them, is what counts.

That was the theme of Baton Rouge Mayor Melvin “Kip” Holden’s keynote address Sunday in Patterson as he spoke at the first of many celebrations planned in the Tri-parishes to honor Martin Luther King Jr.

Franklin Mayor Raymond Harris said in his introduction of his Baton Rouge counterpart, “he is truly a man who has awakened from Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream. Mayor Holden has done a lot to make Baton Rouge a great city.”

Residents of the Verdunville community n located minutes outside of Patterson toward Franklin n gathered at the event, which was sponsored by the Mid-Parish Concerned Citizen Organization.

“When we look at what is happening in America today n home invasions, people getting shot while driving along the interstate, getting shot when meeting people in the supermarket,” Holden told the crowd, “I have to say that if God would hover and literally look down on America today, He would weep.

Racism must be eradicated for the nation to move forward, the mayor pledged.

“I can’t stand white people. I can’t stand black people. It is imperative that we leave these saying behind and join forces to move America forward … black and white,” Holden said.

Wrongdoers are influencing future generations, which is shortening the lifespan of black youths, he noted.

“We have to sort out the bad seeds in our communities that are choking our kids and our neighborhoods because they’re telling our kids that if you follow my directions, you are going to end up on Easy Street,” Holden elaborated. “They don’t end up there; they end up lying in a coffin.”

Through hard work, enduring daily struggles and dedicating one’s effort to success, Holden said all races can realize the American dream.

“If you see a man on top of a mountain, chances are good he had to climb it,” he said. “An authentic man is a real man, a genuine thing. Males are born, but men are made.

“Remember this: it’s not the hours you put in but what you put into the hours.”

Holden said Christians are promised a better life beyond their time on earth, but the time spent here is not guaranteed to be problem-free.

“God uses the difficulties in men’s lives to strengthen us in order that we can better serve others that are in need of our services,” he explained.

“In life, be the music, not the conductor. Listen for the beautiful music that is inside you, then understand how your beauty contributes to the sounds of life.

Members of the Mid-Parish Concerned Citizen Organization of Verdunville are Wendell C. Bogan, president; John Navy Jr., vice president; Henry Darby, secretary; Ulyses Knight Jr. and Maxie O’Brien, treasurers.

Bogan, an assistant planning and zoning director for St. Mary Parish and longtime director of the Morgan City Housing Authority, also addressed the audience.

“Martin Luther King Jr. died young for being good,” he reminded listeners. “We still remember this, but we have not told our children about the struggle. Yet, the struggle is still going on.”

The Rev. Ron Bias, a Morgan City councilman, told the crowd, “We must all carry the torch to light each of the communities where we live.”