ABBEVILLE, La. (KLFY) -- Across America, communities honored the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Right in Downtown Abbeville, the Vermilion Reach Group hosted an inaugural MLK Day Celebration.

It started with the Stump Service on Greene Ave. and Joiner St. Carlton Campbell, councilman at large shared the history of the Stump Service. 

“Well, when I was a kid growing up, my cousin lived in that house right there and there was a big tree here. I knew the big tree was a China ball tree,” Campbell said. 

Campbell said he went off to college at USL which is now called UL. When he returned the massive tree was now a stump. It has been so for approximately 31 years. 

“Years passed and we continued using this stump," Campbell explained. "Sometimes the ground was soggy and the pastors and the guest speakers didn't want to get their shoes all messed up. So you would get on the stump,” 

He said many speakers use the stump to tell their speeches because they do not have a podium or anything. Now continuing the tradition and speaking about Dr. King’s legacy, Pastor Irving Simpson, the speaker of the Stump Service offered inspirational words of encouragement. 

“Dr. King wrote a sermon in 1958. It's called ‘A Knock at Midnight’ and I don't know about you, but when I first got here, it was midnight,” said Simpson. “It’s midnight all over the world. It's not just here, it's every community you go to it’s midnight and Dr. King said at 58’, it's so dark that you can hardly see. Is it dark right now,” Campbell asked the crowd. 

They replied, “Yes!” 

“Look over our nation right now. Is it dark right now? Because our nation is turning farther away from God than to God and we as a church, we as a people are believers. We've got to turn back to God, baby. That's all I tell you because if we don't turn back to God, we're not going to make it. This generation needs us and they need to know God has them but we have to pray for them,” Campbell said. 

He shared the parable of a man asking for three loaves in the Bible, Luke 11:5-13. He said the loaves symbolic faith, hope, and love. 

“See love covers a multitude of sins and I'm not going to let you be according to your skin color. I'm not going to love you. According to where you stay. I'm going to love you because the Bible says God is love,” said Simpson. “Faith says we got to see it. I see this stump being preserved. It doesn't look good now, does it? But sometimes our communities don't look good but we gotta keep going,” Campbell said. 

“We got to start walking around with some trash bags and picking up trash in the community," Campbell continued. "Stop waiting on the city of Abbeville to do it. You have to have faith that things are going to get better. We want to have vigils after somebody gets shot. We want to call for prayer after that? We have to pray [without ceasing]; continually because the enemy is out to kill, steal, and destroy. We got some history and we the people got to start standing together.”

Campbell said the Main Street Organization is planning to preserve the stump sometime after Mardi Gras.

“They're going to put polyurethane on it. They're going to clean it up and put insecticide on it and make it an icon,” Campbell said. 

The next thing was the Million Man March Tribute where the MLK March Grand Marshal was KLFY Passe Partout Anchor, Danielle Duncan. There were approximately 200 people who marched from Abbeville Electric Supply Inc. on State Street to Concord Street at Magdalen Square. 

Kevin Williams, a pastor of St. Mary Congregational Church, spoke with News 10 as well.

“I was asked the other day about why it is we have Black History Month. I was asked by a young person, which is very important to me personally and my response to him was that over a period of time, the person who has the pencil is the one who writes the history. In these times when we are discovering that the history that has been written has not been correct. Now people are taking pencils, using erasers, erasing errors, and rewriting a more correct[ly] and more just history. Black History Month, this celebration, all of those things kind of go into making sure that we have that and have it well,” Williams explained. 

Williams reflects that even though the weather was cold for Southern Louisianans he was ‘warm on the inside.’ 

“I’m warm on the inside because when I look at those who are coordinating this particular effort this year and when I look at those who are participating in this effort, I see faces that are new. I see faces that are young. I see faces that represent different organizations, and different denominations and so all of those coming together on a day like this where it’s challenging just to be out here is powerful,” Williams said. 

Furthermore, during the downtown celebration, Roderick Nu Darby with The Vermilion Reach Group began to get emotional as he reflected on his vision to have the MLK Day celebration Downtown come to pass. 

“For carrying the legacy of MLK Day in Vermilion Parish VRG will continue the work of MLK in Vermilion Parish,” Darby said.. 

“We have a bench in the front of this courthouse that I'll pass by at 5:00 in the morning, running and coming and this vision right here is something that I envisioned for the last three years, and it has come to pass and I appreciate all of you being here, a part of this legacy that MLK stood for and many others before me,” Darby continued. 

Duncan then wrapped up the event.

“I remember as a child every year participating in the MLK program when it was held at Herod, and to now have the honor to be a part of the new tradition is amazing because as a child, I always knew that God had great plans for my life. I could feel it but being from a small area, I thought I had to move away to achieve bigger, to have bigger opportunities but I have to honestly say nothing beats making an impact right in your own hometown. It feels more genuine and over the years, in my position, being able to travel across Acadiana and speak with the residents, I have developed a true passion for people and helping to change their lives,” said Duncan.

A full look at the event’s schedule is here.

Latest Posts