OC Remembers Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

OCEAN CITY – This municipality hosted its long-standing celebration of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at two different events Jan. 21.
A morning, island-wide clean-up “Day of Service” was held, followed by a celebration of King’s life, presided over by Mayor Jay Gillian. The celebration continued with the annual community “soul food” dinner. 
The ceremony moved this year from its usual timing on the Saturday before Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to the day of. The location of the event remained the same, the Hughes Performing Arts Center of Ocean City High School. 
As Gillian noted, the ceremony brings the community together to remember King through words, song, and dance. Local clergy offered thoughts to mark the tone of the day.
Rev. Gregory Johnson of the Shiloh Baptist Church reprised one of the event’s traditional highlights by his recitation of Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
Dr. Beverly Vaughn and the Freedom Singers from Stockton University performed, followed by Rev. Marcia Stanford of Macedonia United Methodist Church, and Rev. Stephen Connor of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, both in Ocean City, who gave scripture readings.
Ocean City resident Sally Onesty was honored with the Martin Luther King Award for her support of individuals and families battling the effects of addiction.
Ocean City Intermediate School eighth-grader Ethan Meron and seventh-grader James Burke read from their winning essays on the lasting impact of King.
After the event, attendees moved to the high school cafeteria for what has become a much-anticipated and unusual feature of the King festivities in Ocean City: the no-charge “soul food” dinner for the entire community. 
Rev. Drena Garrett, of St. James African American Methodist Church, explained the genesis of this highlight for the celebration and its significance in honoring King’s teachings.
“This is a day that shows the family unification of the city. It’s where all people come together for the good of all people and started in the late 1990s by an educator, musical genius and a lover of the Lord who lived by the word, to the best of her ability. Her name was Rozelia Wiggins Cobb.”
According to Garrett‘s research, the first service was held at Macedonia United Methodist Church, followed by the first dinner of fried chicken, baked macaroni and cheese, potato salad, candied yams, collard greens, green beans, baked beans, cornbread, bisques, cakes, pies, and juice. These soul food signature icons are still on the menu.
“The dinner was prepared and donated by the church members and volunteers from the community. Their purpose in organizing the dinner was to come to serve and engage in fellowship.
“The whole community was invited and because of the large turnout the service was moved from Macedonia United Methodist Church to the Ocean City Music Pier and the dinner to the dining room at Shiloh Baptist Church for a number of years,” said Garrett.
Garrett continued her reminiscing about the soul food dinner’s origins: “The dinner was organized by Sister Portia Thompson and Sister Mary Miles, with the help of volunteers from the community.
“In 2005 and 2006, for the love of the city and its people, the dinner was funded by Council member Keith Hartzell and Mayor Jay Gillian, and the Martin Luther King Awards were donated by the city.
“After a few years, the service and dinner were moved to the Ocean City High School with the ceremony to the Bill and Nancy Hughes Performing Arts Center and the dinner to the Ocean City High School Cafeteria.”
Summing up the importance of the dinner to the community, Garrett pointed out, “Living in a city that from its origin was founded on biblical standards and dedicated to the Lord we recognized that this land is holy unto Him. We are a united city and when one hurts we all hurt and when one is blessed we all reap the harvest.
“We are a people who understand the need for each other. Dr. King would be proud of Ocean City, New Jersey.”
To contact Camille Sailer, email csailer@cmcherald.com.