BY DAN HILDEBRAN
Telegraph Staff Writer
STARKE—Over 100 people attended Concerned Citizens of Bradford County’s Martin Luther King Jr. observance at Starke’s Florida National Guard Armory.
Much of the ceremony focused on students, with recognition given to honor roll students, high school and middle school athletes and Pop Warner football players and coaches.
Presider Glenda Ruise told the audience that the theme of the event was a quote from King in which he said, “People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.”
She added that the event’s motto was another quote from the civil rights leader: “The quality, not the longevity of one’s life, is what’s important.”
Bradford County Commissioner Carolyn Spooner began the observance by leading the crowd in the Black National Anthem: “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
Jaquan Bryant offered the opening prayer, Jaquez Mitchell read Psalm 23, and the McDuffie family sang “The Family Song.”
Iana Patterson from the Florida Department of Health told attendees about the department’s new wellness resource hub.
She said the hub, located at the Church of God by Faith Community Learning Center on Old Lawtey Road, brings together a variety of services, including blood pressure monitoring, diabetes prevention, adult education, job skills training, employment services, banking, college admission help, G.E.D. testing, tobacco cessation, disability resources, veteran resources, youth development, wellness workshops and financial literacy.
OK Sun Broxton Burke told the audience that in addition to remembering the legacy of King, they should also strive to achieve the ideals of freedom and equality for all. She added that they should also honor the contributions of other trailblazers.
“I invite you to remember the names of your ancestors and to pay homage to their positive contributions,” she said.
Community service honorees
Starke City Commissioner Janice Mortimer recognized Rev. Clarence DeSue Jr., Katherine P. “Kate” Ellison and Rev. Alvin Greene, three people Concerned Citizens of Bradford County honored at a Jan. 14 awards banquet.
Mortimer said DeSue attended R.J.E. High School and is remembered for his time as a drum major.
“I think everyone that has any memory of R.J.E. remembers high-stepping Rev. Clarence DeSue,” she said.
Mortimer said that after DeSue earned a bachelor’s degree from Bethune-Cookman College, he added master’s and educational specialist degrees to his resume.
His career began in the corrections system, a hospital social worker and with the Florida Parole Commission as a parole examiner.
“After leaving the penal institution, he worked in the Bradford County School System as a social worker, a teacher, and later as an administrator at both Bradford High School and the Bradford-Union Vocational Technical Center,” Mortimer said, “where he was instrumental in implementing the licensed practical nursing program in 2005.”
“Rev. DeSue answered the call of God on his life and served as pastor of Pleasant Plain United Methodist Church in Gainesville and the Bethlehem United Methodist Church in Ft. White,” she added. “Rev. DeSue’s hobbies include spending time with his family, playing chess, gardening, reading, and jazz music.”
Mortimer said Kate Ellison was born in north Louisiana and grew up in east Tennessee.
“Her parents, who were from New Orleans, raised her to care about equality and human rights locally and around the world,” Mortimer said. “She grew up in a segregated white neighborhood in a house her family owned and remodeled. As her two sisters came along, she recognized the privilege of her background and tried to give back.”
Mortimer added that after four girls were killed in the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, Ellison’s mother took her children to a local civil rights protest in their town.
“It was the first of many marches for Kate,” said Mortimer, “although she focused in college on stopping the war in Vietnam, over the decades, she marched and organized for change when she had time, usually for equal rights for women.”
Mortimer said Ellison has lived in Knoxville, where she graduated from the University of Tennessee, then in Atlanta, Washington D.C., rural Kentucky, Gainesville, and now at the edge of Speedville.
“Wherever she lived, she always found work but never had a continuous, meaningful career,” Mortimer said. “She has been a social worker, a graphic artist, done odd jobs, helped build a house, and most recently, financial aid administrator in Gainesville for two acupuncture schools and a midwifery school in Gainesville.”
Mortimer said that after retiring six years ago, Ellison focused on applying herself to being the change she wanted to see in the world.
“She joined the Bradford County Democratic Party, the We Care Democrats, the Melrose Business and Community Association, the Florida Coalition for Peace and Justice, the Concerned Citizens of Bradford County and the monthly food bank, the Sierra Club and the NAACP.”
Mortimer said Ellison helped establish the Bradford Environmental Forum and the Democratic Women of the Lake Area.
“In a more perfect world,” Mortimer added, “together we can end racism and sexism, the climate crisis, and eliminate poverty and war. Those are Kate’s words. Thank you, Kate.”
Mortimer said Alvin Greene was born and raised in Bradford County. He graduated from R.J.E. High School in 1969 and received a Bachelor of Theology in 2017 from the International Seminary and has been married to his wife Clara for 47 years.
“After he was ordained and licensed to preach the gospel, he was called to pastor St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church in Lake City in 2001, and he continues in that leadership position,” Mortimer said. “Today, Reverend Green is known as the community preacher. It is not uncommon to pass his home on Pine Street and see several vehicles parked and people from all over enjoying the words of wisdom that he has to share, as well as a hearty meal that he cooks most of the time.”
“He loves his family,” Mortimer added. “He loves people. He loves cooking. He’s a great fisherman. But what he does the best, in my opinion, is preach the word of God. He is a tremendous asset to this community and always willing to help everyone.”
MLK Model Scholars
Dr. Naima Brown, Vice President of Student Affairs at Santa Fe College, presented the MLK Model Scholar Award to Trenyce Aikens, Za’Coyia Aikens, Destiny Crum, Jakyri Dean, Ja’Taiya Glover, Jayden Hudson, Omari James, Devon McBride, Saniya Thompson, Malaiah Williams and Samuel Williams.
Brown said Trenyce Aikens has been a part of the Upward Bound program since 2019.
“She has remained engaged in the program because she says Upward Bound teaches you how to see the opportunities you have in life,” Brown said. “Trenyce enjoys community and church activities. Her college interests include Santa Fe College and Valencia College.”
Aikens’s career interests include crime scene investigation, radiology and ultrasound technology.
Za’Coyia Aikens has also been in the Upward Bound program since 2019 and, like Trenyce, participates in community and church activities.
“She enjoys doing nails and plans to pursue a degree in nursing at Santa Fe College,” Brown said.
The college administrator said Destiny Crum has been an Upward Bound member since 2020.
“She has remained engaged in the Upward Bound program because her mother motivates her to finish strong,” Brown added. “She enjoys the trips that they take and the cultural experiences.”
Crum plays basketball and volleyball and considers herself a planner. She hopes to pursue a career in the Air Force and business.
Jakyri Dean is a member of the Educational Talent Search program and the Bradford High School football team.
“In middle school, Jakyri realized he was associated with the wrong group of friends who were bringing him down instead of lifting him up, and he joined Future Farmers of America in high school,” Brown said. “He continued his growth and really developed as a leader. Now in his senior year, he mentors the younger players.”
Brown said Dean is active in Key Club and the National Honor Society.
“He’s helped plan service projects,” Brown added. “This is proof through Jakyri that students can change their path with the right attitude and hard work.”
Ja’Taiya Glover is also in the Educational Talent Search program, which pairs students with mentors to help them with academic support, test preparation, study skills and college and career exploration.
Brown said Glover is a quiet student who leads by example.
“She’s never had to be reminded of deadlines because she is internally motivated and responsible,” Brown said. “In 11th grade, she broke out of her comfort zone and tried out for the color guard. She made the team and never looked back.”
Brown said Glover serves as a role model for younger members of the team.
Jayden Hudson has been in Upward Bound since 2022.
“He’s remained engaged in Upward Bound because it helped bring his grades up,” Brown said. “He is a member of the Church of God by Faith. He plays football, enjoys basketball, and his college interests include my alma mater: the Florida A&M University.”
Brown said Omari James, who was not at the ceremony, is also in the Educational Talent Search program.
James has a 4.0 GPA and is active in several school clubs, including the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Students Working Against Tobacco. He is also on the executive board and serves as the parliamentarian of student government.
Devin McBride has been a member of Upward Bound since the summer of 2021.
“He says the reason that he has remained is that he’s learned a lot through Upward Bound, and it’s helped him to enter college,” Brown said. “He plays football and enjoys video games and working out with his friends.”
McBride’s college interests include Florida State University and hopes to become a wildlife biologist.
Saniya Thompson has participated in Upward Bound since the spring of 2020.
“She’s learned new things about college and is college-ready,” Brown said. “Saniya enjoys church and community activities, cooking, driving, singing, and playing games.”
Brown added that Thompson aspires to be a teacher.
Malaiah Williams has been a participant in Upward Bound since 2021.
“She says Upward Bound teaches her the skills and motivation to pursue academic success in high school and college,” Brown said.
Williams volunteers with the Young Hearts Extended Assisted Living Facility in Lawtey and works as a clerical assistant at L.J. Prestige Lending.
“She’s also a member of the girls’ basketball team, and her hobbies include writing, hanging out with friends, and being on her phone,” Brown said. “Her college interests include FAMU and UCF, and she is going to be a pediatric nurse practitioner.”
Samuel Williams has participated in the Upward Bound program since the summer of 2020.
“He’s remained engaged because he believes it is a start for him to be great, and if he stays engaged when his time comes, he will be ready,” Brown said. “He is the class president of 2024. He plays football and participates in track.”
Williams’s college interests include Florida State and Florida A&M.
I’m coming with a switch
Concerned Citizens President Alica McMillian wrapped up the event by telling the audience that her organization focused the MLK observance on youth because of the challenges they face.
“Not only due to the educational system,” she said, “but the criminal justice system too. There are not enough churches and organizations lifting them up, and we don’t know sometimes what our kids go through. We are supposed to be a village. Everybody’s got a part, and so we’ve got to help each other.”
McMillian added that young people need encouragement, particularly after they make mistakes.
“We need to back them up and say: ‘Hey, you’re doing a good job,’” she said. “And when they are not doing a good job, say: ‘You’ve got to change. You can’t go down that road. It’s a dead end.’”
McMillian also exhorted parents to take charge of their households.
“You need to stop letting your children run your house,” she said. “They don’t pay your light bill. They don’t pay your mortgage. You need to let them know: in this house until you start paying some bills, you don’t move nothing in here. That’s what we need to do. We need to take control.”
McMillian added that when parents take control at home, they create an environment where teachers can take control at school.
“And then our superintendent’s job will be easy,” she said, “(Bradford High School Assistant Principal Chris Coffey) Mr. Coffey’s job will be easy… and your job will be easy too.”
McMillian criticized students who rebel at school and then expect their parents to back them up when facing discipline for their actions.
“Stop telling the teacher: ‘My mom will come,’” she said. “If I’m coming, I’m coming with a switch, and they are going to put me in jail afterward.”
