Students honor MLK

4th Youth Summit at SUNY Sullivan

By Aidan Dusenbury-Dalto | Manor Ink

Loch Sheldrake, NY – It was a gathering of young people who were there “for a purpose.” On Friday, Jan. 17, high school students from around the county came together for the fourth annual “Martin Luther King, Jr., Day of Service Youth Summit.” The event was held in the Seelig Theater at SUNY Sullivan County Community College, and sponsored by the Sullivan 180 organization.

To start off the morning, students were welcomed by live music performed by Julian Young and Tobias Brown. After everyone settled into their seats in the Seelig Auditorium, the documentary “The Story of Martin Luther King, Jr.” by director Kid President was shown. That was followed by Dr. King’s famous “Blueprint for Life” speech.

After the video portion of the morning, students listened to the poem “A Dream in the Heart” by Anthony Ortiz, read by Orrin Hutchinson III. Next up was keynote speaker John Johnson, a communications specialist and mentor, who encouraged the audience to embrace their own unique life purpose. Johnson shared the importance of connecting to a deeper source in order to find value, direction and confidence in one’s journey, saying “I think about leadership, and the ability to lead your life and not just live it.” He went on to say it’s necessary to have “an optimistic mindset ... I’m grateful I have life, I’m grateful I have purpose.”

After the address, the students were organized into “Team Rooms” for roundtable discussions about the keynote presentations and films. In the groups, the students discussed some of Dr. King’s words, choosing those that spoke to them most.

After lunch in the SUNY Sullivan cafeteria, students returned to the auditorium for more motivational speeches, starting with New York Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado. A keynote speaker, he spoke about the power of love and how it “is your superpower.”

“You are here because you know you can do more for yourself and your community, so keep embracing it. You might trip and fall or make mistakes – that’s okay, because love gives you strength through tough times,” Delgado said. He emphasized that “you will face tough times, but with love of self, those failures become opportunities for growth. In love you will find courage to turn down the noise outside and listen to your inner voice and be your true self.” Delgado also advised that “we are all going through a time where it’s easy to be distracted, but never lose sight of that promised land inside of you.”

John Johnson and the various Team reporters also spoke of the inspirations and ideas students talked about during the day. Julio Santiago and Dion Knight then performed a dramatic reading of a conversation between Rabbi Abraham Joshua Herschel and Dr. King right here in Sullivan County a few weeks before Dr. King was killed.

Thanks to Sullivan 180 and the speakers and volunteers, 123 students from ten area schools and homeschoolers had an inspiring day that celebrated an important American and his beliefs of justice and racial equality.