KYLE MURPHYStaff Writer

Despite the single-digit temperatures Monday morning, residents gathered at C.D. Stamps Community to march in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for the annual march sponsored by the We Care Committee.

With many banks, government agencies and schools closed for the federal holiday, a small crowd of community residents, city representatives and faith leaders met at C.D. Stamps Community Center to make the near mile march from the community center to Tullahoma City Hall. Marchers carried posters of the late civil rights leader as they walked with police escort along Jackson Street even as the wind chill hung just below 0.

Afterwards, everyone returned to C.D. Stamps where they were served breakfast, and held a prayer before the MLK Day program.

The program featured dance performances from the Shorter Chapel Praise Team, and this year’s main speaker was Pastor Donald Randell Smith.

Smith thanked the We Care Committee for inviting him to speak and celebrate MLK. He said he got the confirmation that Friday, as he was making his way to Winchester when he saw an old red brick church with a sign that said “You’re never alone.”

“So if nothing else, keep on fighting, keep on fighting, never alone,” Smith said.

During his presentation, Smith recited King’s 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech, and said after church he learned from others who told him that they heard sound bites, but not the full speech.

When he finished reading the full speech, Smith said those issues discussed by King are the same issues they are dealing with today.

“This is a very important time in history, an unprecedented time,” Smith said. “Never have we had this much access to knowledge. But we must obtain the right knowledge.”

He emphasized the theme for the program and encouraged everyone in attendance to be there and show up.

“That’s 90 percent of the whole situation, circumstance getting complete, is you being available and showing up,” Smith said. “Far too long have you talked the talk, but not walked the walk. If you don’t know what to do, return back to God.”

Smith said they must have courage and cannot be afraid, especially when they’re operating in the same spirit that King operated in.

“You can’t just do what Martin Luther King did,” he said. “Oh no, no, no. You have to operate in the same spirit.”

He added that it was important for the next generation to know who King was and what he really stood for: fighting for equality.

“What are some ways we can achieve this in our own towns and communities? Stand against violence, drug abuse, housing for the homeless, weaponization of public offices against the people,” he said. “We honor him by fighting to see all people have a say.”

He ended his presentation leading a prayer for the community, as well as for the nation as President Donald Trump was sworn into office.

“We pray for this inauguration, peace and safety,” Smith said. “We pray for the incoming president. We pray for the outgoing president. As we pray for the nation, this community again, our own homes. In Jesus name, Amen.”

Following Smith was Tullahoma Mayor Lynn Sebourn, who gave a few brief comments. He thanked the We Care Committee for letting him speak and said MLK Day was important, as well as stating it was important for the city government to treat everyone fairly, which as mayor he is devoted to do.

“I think everybody wants to be treated fairly,” Sebourn said. “I think public officials and any person that’s in the public eye has a responsibility to try to serve as an example to that regard.”

Sebourn then discussed a protest held by white supremacists that took place in Tullahoma last November. He said he meant to address it beforehand and apologized, citing he was very pressed for time with several professional and personal matters. Per Sebourn, the white supremacists came in and stood in front of the a gas station next to Oakwood Cemetery on North Jackson Street, and were wearing masks, which he said was particularly offensive to him.

“I feel like if you’re going to stand up and say something, you have to show your face,” Sebourn said.

Sebourn added the group went through Shelbyville that same day, and he tried doing research on the group but it’s not known why the group decided to stop in Tullahoma. He added that they originally came a few counties west from Coffee County.

“I think it’s important we stand up and condemn that sort of thing in a public way, especially as a person in my position,” he said.

He continued and said at first he was tempted to just ignore them because the last thing he would do is give the group any attention at all, yet in the new age of information, those people are online talking to each other.

“So, it’s probably not a coincidence I found out there was a similar protest in Columbia, Ohio and Decatur, Alabama the exact same day,” Sebourn said. “A very similar protest. So they’re probably talking to each other.”

Sebourn added those kind of people have problems in their lives, and they don’t understand that the source of their issues, stating that the source of most of everyone’s problems are not other people, but themselves. 

“I just want you all to know that we’ve watched that,” he said. “I don’t know if anybody from Tullahoma could actually participate in that and get behind that.”

He asked residents to keep an eye out and if they see anything to tell him about it.

Concluding the event was the We Care Committee gave out certificates of appreciation to those who helped with and participated in the program, including Smith and Sebourn.

The We Care Committee’s next meeting will take place on the second Tuesday in February at C.D. Stamps Community Center at 5 p.m.

The full speech from King in the 1963 March on Washington can be read here.

Duane Sherrill contributed to this story.