Mission Possible: Mooresville celebration focuses on desire for change and work necessary to achieve MLK’s dream

BY BRANDY TEMPLETON

The Charles Mack Citizen Center was packed on Monday with people celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The Town of Mooresville’s annual event focused on the importance of wanting change and unity and also the need to embrace the work required to achieve the civil rights leader’s vision for a more just and equal world.

The annual event began with a peace walk followed by prayers, breakfast, guest speakers, and special music.

Pastor Sheldon McIver prayed over the peace walk, followed by Master of Ceremonies Omar Tyree praising Mooresville and announcing all the guest speakers. Pastor Tynsley Williams delivered a powerful rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” along with other Christian music praising God for his goodness.

After Rev. Curtis Johnson blessed the meal, Mayor Chris Carney shared his thoughts on the celebration.

“This is a special day and obviously Dr. King was a special man,” he said. “Whether you are white, Black, Hispanic, or Asian, there’s something wrong with you if you can’t admire him.”

Carney said he wonders what King would think of today’s world, wondering if race relations would please him. After applauding King’s work, he explained why he believes King was assassinated. “They couldn’t hurt the message, so they stopped the messenger,” Carney said. “I believe if he could give a message today, he’d say to still have hope, to wake up everyday and have hope.”

Carney encouraged everyone to walk away from unkind people and then to go show kindness to others.

Greg Whitfield, chair of Mooresville Graded School District, spoke on how King valued education.

“Education was a central pillar for society,” he said. “It had the power to break cycles of poverty.”

Police Chief Ron Campurciani shared that his department is comprised of a diverse group of officers.

“We have the most ethnic group of police officers, including Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, gays and lesbians that we’ve ever had,” he said. “They’re the best and not the other way around.”

He shared how much Mooresville’s police department has changed in recent yearts, saying the reform came from asking “tough questions” on behalf of the community.

“We may make mistakes of the head, but not of the heart.”

Keynote Speaker Pastor Andreas Parsley-Williams spoke following special performances by the Mooresville High School Choir, Mooresville Graded School District Students, and the JoyFest Choir.

Parsley-Williams said the words in Acts 7:1, which focus on God’s desire for everyone to be together in the day of Pentecost.

“We’re living in a time of wars and rumors of wars, red versus blue … red and blue make purple. It represents God’s sovereignty and royalty.”

The pastor said that if everyone put God first, society would be better off as a country. He also pointed toward China and how that country prepares students for life.

“Instead of focusing on entertaining, we need to focus on training,” Parsley-Williams said.

“Aren’t you tired of singing the songs together but never working together? We’re too focused on entertaining and not training.”

He closed by stating that the community has much potential, but the discussion is heavy.

“Competition had to end, we can’t continue this way,” Parsley-Williams said.