Meeting Minutes & More | A word about Dr. King's dream and today's times

1-12 B-1 — This story appeared in ‘Meeting Minutes & More,’ a weekly, six-page special section in the print editions of Friday’s News-Gazette reported and written by Editor Jeff D’Alessio and designed by Managing Editor Niko Dugan. Click here to read an electronic version of this week’s section. Click here to subscribe to The News-Gazette.

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Sixty years, four months and 15 days ago on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. dreamed of a day when his four small children would “live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

With Monday’s holiday commemorating his legacy, Editor Jeff D’Alessio asked 30 community members — including Minnie Pearson and the Rev. Hub Burnett, who’ll be honored at Sunday’s Martin Luther King Jr. Countywide Celebration — for the one word that best sums up their feelings on those words and today’s times.

Tori Exum, VP, Urbana school board

Hub Burnett, pastor, New Free Will Baptist Church

Carla Boyd, Human rights and equity officer, city of Urbana

Andre Davis, lieutenant, Champaign Police Department

Barbara Suggs Mason, co-chair, African American Heritage Trail

Minnie Pearson, president, Champaign County NAACP

Larry Boone, chief of police, city of Urbana

Ronda Holliman, associate judge, Champaign County

Kim Tate, teacher, International Prep Academy, Champaign

DeShawn Williams, 2025 mayoral candidate, city of Urbana

Rev. Terrance Thomas — Terrance L. Thomas

Robin Scholz/The News-Gazette

Terrance L. Thomas, pastor, Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church

Derrick Cooper, principal, Urbana Middle School

Dionne Clifton, managing broker, LIVE Real Estate Group

Aush Knox, co-owner, Beard Culture Barbershop & Gallery

Willie Comer, pastor, Berean Covenant Church

Alicia Geddis, superintendent, Danville school district

David Fields, former superintendent, Danville school district

Reginald Hardwick, news director, Illinois Public Media

Dalitso Sulamoyo, CEO, Champaign County Regional Planning Commission

Von Young Jr., former chief of police, Parkland College

Sharva Hampton-Campbell, student affairs coordinator, UI School of Social Work

Will Kyles, deputy mayor, city of Champaign

Lisa Gaye Dixon, professor of theater, University of Illinois

Rev. Terrence Washington — Terrence Washington

Terrence Washington, minister, Zion Hill Ministries

Lashaunda Cunningham, author, adjunct professor and organizer of Jettie Rhodes Neighborhood Day

Verdell Jones III, firefighter, city of Champaign

David Groves, program director, Ubuntu Mentoring of Danville

Brennon Hightower, career services manager, Parkland College

Banio Koroma Jr., founder, Vision to Succeed of Urbana

Venetria Patton, dean, UI College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

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