CAPE MAY – Hundreds joined in a joyous celebration filled with spiritual and patriotic song, the stirring words of Martin Luther King, Jr., and a presentation entitled “Take Me to the Water,” during “Martin Luther King Jr. in Cape May: A 60th Anniversary Celebration” June 27 at 7 p.m. at Cape May Convention Hall, 714 Beach Ave. It was a community celebration of an important and hitherto unheralded moment in local and national history.
The special evening of remembrance, music and fellowship, presented by The City of Cape May, in association with the Center for Community Arts (CCA), the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts and Humanities (MAC), Chamber of Commerce of Greater Cape May, Macedonia Baptist Church and the Greater Cape May Historical Society celebrated the speech titled “Nonviolence & Racial Justice,” which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. presented 60 years ago June 27, 1958, during the Friends General Conference in Cape May June 23-30, 1958.
Held during the height of the Civil Rights Movement (1954-1968), the speech was part of the biennial Quakers’ Friends General Conference. These Friends General Conferences have been held since 1868, and Cape May was host for over 30 years, from 1928 until 1962. It was a moving call to non-violence and resistance.
The important moment in local and national history might have been forgotten had it not been for a communication in January of this year, from Anna Wright, via her nephew, James TerBush, of Elverson, Pa. to the City of Cape May Mayor’s Office. Wright had attended the original Friends Conference in 1958 and heard Dr. King speak.
TerBush suggested to Cape May Mayor Chuck Lear that the city commemorate this year’s 60th anniversary of Dr. King’s visit. The mayor thanked him for bringing this information to his attention and assured him the city was looking into ways to remember and honor Dr. King’s visit.
A committee was formed from various members of several community organizations and a celebration was in the making. The committee soon realized that too little was known about this historic event.
The program featured the Cape May Community Choir, a gospel choir led by Lois Smith, comprised of choir members from Cape May Lutheran Church, Cape May United Methodist Chuch, Macedonia Baptist Church and Tabernacle Methodist Church; opening remarks by the Master of Ceremonies, Rev. Harold Harris of Cape May’s Macedonia Baptist Church; welcoming remarks from Mayor Lear; a video message from U.S. Sen. Cory A. Booker (D-NJ); a reading of excerpts from Dr. King’s speech by Rev. Dr. Derrick McQueen; and featured speaker, Rev. Dr. Harold Dean Trulear, who brought Dr. King’s words into context for today with his speech titled, “Take Me To the Water.” Anna Wright shared her memory of the evening and brought that experience to life.
Now, a plaque will commemorate the event in (the new) Cape May Convention Hall on the same site where Dr. King delivered this speech in 1958.
For more information, contact Laurie Taylor, director of marketing, City of Cape May at (609) 884-9565.
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