Southern Illinois University Student Center Ballrooms were packed early in the morning on Jan. 19 for the 44th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Breakfast, where speakers called for active civic engagement and education on social justice issues.

The purpose of the event was to honor and remember the struggles and challenges faced during the Civil Rights Movement and to celebrate King while supporting education and funding scholarships.

Richard Jones, vice president of the local Alpha Phi Alpha chapter, welcomed the attendees, stating the purpose of the breakfast was to acknowledge historical struggles and to foster fellowship within the community. 

Carbondale Mayor Carolin Harvey addressed the “fierce urgency of now” by urging the community to act against “bullies” and hold elected officials accountable through direct communication.

“The fierce urgency of now means that we need to act,” Harvey said. She challenged the audience to use their phones and emails to contact elected officials rather than remaining silent. 

She said that such passivity eventually leaves everyone vulnerable.

“Do we let our elected officials sit back and do nothing?” Harvey said. “If we continue to keep quiet, eventually it comes down to ‘they called for me, and nobody said anything.’”

Melissa McCutchen, second vice president of the Carbondale NAACP, said in her address that the holiday requires action.

“Today’s celebration honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a legacy that calls for us not just to remember, but to act; not just to dream, but to build,” McCutchen said.

Keynote speaker Everick Turner, a retired warden of the Illinois Department of Corrections, urged the audience to examine whether society is living up to its stated values.

Turner identified a fundamental disconnect between what America claims to stand for and its actual actions.

“We’re doing some things that are quote-unquote ‘superficial and addressing symptoms,’ but we’re not addressing the sources and the root of the problem,” Turner said.

Turner used the biblical story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego – a story about a king’s decree to worship an idol – to illustrate the importance of maintaining principles even in the face of opposition.

Turner warned against what he called gradualism, the belief that progress happens automatically over time.

In an interview after the event, Turner said social injustice requires active intervention.

“As long as hate is like a cancer, if you don’t address it, it doesn’t go away. It only gets worse,” Turner said. “The urgent action is to educate themselves on what we actually stand for, and to compare whether or not we’re actually doing the things that we stand for.”

The Carbondale branch of the NAACP honored the winners of the King Essay Contest by allowing them the opportunity to stand on stage and read excerpts from their winning works. Julihanna Felton of Thomas School wrote about organizing a blanket drive for people experiencing homelessness in Carbondale.

“Dr. King would say, ‘Fear not. I care. Let’s make a plan to give them a home,’” Felton wrote.

Eli Bramlett, second-place winner from Lewis School, wrote about King’s response to encountering segregation at a young age.

“He did with his mouth, and he taught me strength comes from the heart and not the fists,” Bramlett wrote of King’s philosophy of nonviolent activism.

The Black Graduate Greek Council of Carbondale won the 2025 Black History Scholar Bowl and received a traveling trophy. The City of Carbondale Civic Agents finished second, with the team members receiving silver medallions, and Dr. Pamela Smoot’s class at SIU finished third.

Other notable attendees included Jackson County State’s Attorney Marsha Cascio-Hale and Police Chief Anthony Copeland.

SIU gospel choir Joyful Noise performed. Pastor Paulette Sherwood gave the benediction.

Turner said in the interview that he believes positive change is possible.

“Love overpowers hate,” Turner said. “And it’s going to win.”

News Reporter Trevor John can be reached at [email protected]

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