By MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / January 20, 1999

EDGARD – The west bank community of St. John the Baptist Parish lookedto come together as a “Rally of Dreams” was held Monday morning at West St. John Elementary School to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin LutherKing Jr.

The Rev. Joseph Comminie opened the event with a prayer followed by thechildren’s choir of Woodville Baptist Church singing “If You Are Happy” and “We Shall Overcome.” Ronnie Smith gave a biography of King,documenting his accomplishments such as founding the Southern Christian Leadership Council, his “I Have a Dream” speech in Washington, D.C. andhis receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.

“I want to emphasize that Dr. King didn’t do these things for himself,”Smith said. “He did them for everybody here.”The keynote speaker was George Grace Sr., the mayor of St. Gabriel. Gracewas a state vocational director for 20 years before helping lead the push to incorporate St. Gabriel. In his opening marks, Grace noted that theaudience had to sit closer to the stage because of the lack of a sound system and said that the community also needs to come closer.

“We need to come closer together, not just in this auditorium but in our lives,” he said.

Grace said he asked himself what King would do if he was here, noting that he was a natural teacher and an exceptional speaker, not only sounding good when he spoke but saying words that were profound.

“We have a choice to keep,” Grace said. “We must utilize what the Lordhas given us and what Dr. King has given us and go forward. I believe wecan do that.”Grace talked about the effort to incorporate St. Gabriel and how it tookworking together to make it happen. He noted that in the five years it hasbeen incorporated, St. Gabriel officials have gone from working with azero budget to one of $2.9 million and that crime has gone down. Gracesaid if the community wants to incorporate, he will work with it, but it must be willing to work together.

“Dr. King’s preached the philosophy of inclusiveness, not exclusiveness,”Grace said. “I hope you include yourself in whatever direction thiscommunity wishes to take.”Some members of the West St. John community has discussedincorporation at times during the past several years.

Also making speeches were St. John School Board member Leroy Mitchelland councilman Perry Bailey. Mitchell said it was a day worthy ofrecognition and celebration and that we must remember the sacrifices King made.

“We have to realize in order to achieve, we have to sacrifice,” Mitchell said. “We have to get out of self and put others in our thoughts.”Bailey echoed Mitchell’s words about the struggles King had to go through and the need for the community to come together.

“The thing that struck me is the love and interest Dr. King had for people,”Bailey said. “It is going to take all of us in the community to change thiscommunity. Not one person, not two, not three, not a small group.”Carl Baloney, a board member for the River Area Planning Group that put on the rally, pointed to the children in the choir and said King’s dream was for them. He mentioned the problems of today’s society, noting that Kingalso wrote a book, “Where Do We Go From Here?” Baloney said the children of the parish have to go elsewhere for employment and asked what happens to a community when all the young people leave.

“Will we have a future for them?” Baloney asked. “We need to have aninfrastructure for our children to come back to.

“Where will we be going from here? Everyday we should ask that.”

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