Written by Cheri Tisman, photos by Frankie Gaynor
It was pouring rain, with wind gusts of 30 to 35 mph, and just in general, Coral Springs had some pretty nasty weather on Friday, January 15. But nothing stopped the hundreds of Coral Springs residents and guests from attending the unveiling and monument dedication of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Monument at the Coral Springs Northwest Regional Library on University Drive.
“For the past 26 years, the City of Coral Springs Martin Luther King Committee has dedicated itself to living the Dreams of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” said Dr. Mark Gendal, Chair of the MLK Monument Committee. “We raised over $100,000 for this monument, (designed by artist Dari). Everything just came together. The Monument is the only Martin Luther King, Jr. monument in all of Dade and Broward County.”
Dr. Gendal went on to say, “When the committee presented the idea to organizations about the monument and asked for donations, these organizations not only donated, but it spurred off so many other things…. In other words, not only did everyone step up to the plate to donate, but they stepped up with ideas to make the world a better place. They wanted to make the dream a reality and they did. It’s really a testament to who we (Coral Springs and the surrounding areas) are.”
The guest speaker at the dedication event was Alphonso Jackson, former HUD secretary. What stood out in his speech was that “When he was 18 years old, he participated in a march at Selma, Alabama with Dr. King, Andrew Young, John Lewis and others,” said Dr. Bessie Cristwell, Chair of the MLK Scholarship Committee. “He was speaking and looked over at Andrew Young, and said, “It is the hater who suffers more than the one who is hated.” Mr. Jackson said his parents taught him who he was as a young boy, and he was successful because someone was always there to help him. He mentioned that,” You must believe in yourself!” His parents told him, he could be whatever he wanted to be. The principles he learned early in life from his parents and other associations, positively influenced his success,” Dr. Cristwell said.
The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Committee dedicated their time and talent to bring this monument to Coral Springs. It was a week-long celebration for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr with the Arts and Literary awards, the MLK scholarships awards, and ending with the monument’s dedication. It proudly stands 10 feet tall, 9 feet wide and weighs over 13,000 pounds. Please take the time to stop by and visit this great tribute.
