Loose Leaf Notes

As promised in press releases, Floyd’s 2nd annual Martin Luther King Jr. commemoration was a beautiful community celebration that brought together an outpouring of support and participation from local businesses, organizations, churches, restaurants and individuals.

Hosted by The Heart of the Child Music Education and Preserve Floyd, the event highlighted the Interracial Community Building in Floyd that began following the violent Neo-nazi march in Charlottesville and a confederate flag ride through downtown Floyd.

The honoring of King included song, prayer, remembrances, a fellowship meal and a keynote address from Reverend Dr. Edward Burton, a retired pastor of a Roanoke church who lived through the civil rights era and met Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

“When I first moved to Floyd, it was because I wanted to live in a community, a small intimate place where everyone could be known and cared for. Over time I realized that Floyd is made of many different communities, and that some of them didn’t even know each other. This event celebrates how some groups in this town have felt called to keep The Dream alive, by reaching out across community boundaries to build a stronger and safer Floyd,” Kari Kovick, Heart of the Child director and one of the organizers of the event, said to the crowd that filled more than half of the Floyd County High School auditorium.

The program included song, prayer and the words of keynote speaker, Reverend Burton who was introduced by local pastor, Reverend Dr. Clinton Crump. Floyd County High Coach Winifred Beale gave a welcome address and acted as an emcee. Volunteers involved in community-building events and the CERC (Community Educational Resource Cooperative) non-profit umbrella were given shout-outs of recognition.

“I have an announcement to make. There are no second-class citizens! Everything that God made is good,” said the Reverend Edward Burton. With a mix of storytelling, humor and preaching, Burton summarized his inspirational talk saying, “The movement didn’t start with King and it does not end with King.”  He reminded the crowd that we are all responsible for “the carrying on to bring our nation to a new and even higher height.”

Another highlight of the program was when Kovick, a teacher of child social-emotional resiliency, called all the children to come on stage to sing “This Little Light of Mine.”

 “All through the town, I’m gonna let it shine…” the children sang as elders were honored by leaving the auditorium first to make their way to the cafeteria for a fellowship meal provided by local businesses.

Organizers asked attendees to sit next to someone they didn’t know and have a conversation as part of the conscious community-building that started in 2017.  As they did, the closing words of Reverend Burton gave context to the cafeteria buzz. “I’ve been to Floyd where I got happy cause something is going on!” he said.

Look for a story by Floyd Press editor in this week’s paper.