Event commemorates legacy of King
The MLK Steering Committee along with the Ministerial Alliance will be hosting the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend Celebration for the entire community.
• Monday, Jan. 18 — The event will close at 9:30 a.m. with the community declaring Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a day “on” and not a day “off.” Scott Colliflower and the students of Middletown High School’s Social Justice class will present a community report followed by a march to Governors Square Park downtown. Two additional awards for community service will be presented.
• All events are free and open to the public.
MIDDLETOWN — Before diving into a dialogue with the potential to get emotional, community leaders thought it better to put a toe in the water first.
Event organizers say that was what the Middletown Diversity Dialogue on Race Relations sought as it hosted “A Taste of a Dialogue” on race that attracted a cross-section of more than two dozen area residents to Miami University Middletown on Saturday, Jan. 16.
Sponsored by the Martin Luther King Weekend Steering Committee, the dialogue followed previous talks held since January 2008.
But its true beginnings were in 2005, when some residents wanted to rename McKinley Elementary School after civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks, and school board members favored using school names based on geography. The school board relented, but not before controversy.
Organizers said the goal of Saturday’s event was to increase social justice in Middletown and develop closer relationships that hopefully will lead to strengthening the community.
Saturday’s dialogue was facilitated by Darius Prier, a faculty member at Miami University. Its focus was led by a group of black and white young adults — six men and three women who were either in high school or college — who shared fresh perspective about diversity.
They concluded that change has to start with everyone and more education is needed so that opportunities won’t be missed in the future.
“If we’re going to change, it has to start at home,” said Brian Rose, a Middletown High School alumnus who now attends the University of Kentucky. “It’s up to parents to make it happen by teaching their children.”
“I think it went very well,” Mayor Larry Mulligan said. “I was impressed with the format and it was great to get the perspectives of young adults. I was also encouraged by the positive things they had to say about Middletown and their experiences here.”
Students share views on diversity at dialogue
“A Taste of a Dialogue” about race that was held at Miami University Middletown aimed to provide a fresh perspective from a seldom heard demographic — young adults.
The discussion Saturday, Jan. 16 was facilitated by Miami faculty member Darius Prier. It featured nine high school and college students: male, female, black and white.
Those who attended Middletown schools praised their experience at Vail Middle School, which they said prepared them for the cultural diversity that would await them in high school and beyond.
“I didn’t realize how unique Middletown was until after I went to college,” said Eli Johnson, a Middletown High School grad and now a sophomore at Miami’s Oxford campus.
Myka Lipscomb, an MHS grad who attends Ohio State University, said her experiences at Vail “opened her eyes” about socioeconomic diversity and other social issues. “I never heard of Abercrombie until I got to Vail.”
The students agreed the media encourages positive and negative opinions on diversity.
“The media gives us what we want to hear and what society wants to hear,” Johnson said.
Others said people need to learn more about the those delivering the news, and that comfort zones need to be broken before honest dialogue can happen.
Another Miami student, Megan Rigano of Springboro, said many assumptions are based on popular opinion. “You need to get down to what you believe and why.”
On the next steps to take, the students recommended breaking down stereotypes through education.
“We miss situations we already have while trying to start something new and have no support,” said Brian Rose, an MHS graduate currently studying at the University of Kentucky. “We need to educate society more.”
The students also said more self-learning is needed about issues and teachers have to be free to be honest and respectful — seeing students as young adults.
After the dialogue, Johnson said he thought things went well. “I didn’t come in with a lot of expectations. I think this is a great step.”
“They gave honest and courageous answers about their experiences with diversity,” Prier said.
Prier will be developing action steps with the MLK Steering Committee in moving forward from the discussion.
Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4504 or erichter@coxohio.com.
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