Dalton-Whitfield NAACP president encourages people to reconcile

Jan. 19—Marisa Kelley, president of the Dalton-Whitfield chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), has settled on her word of the year for 2024: reconciliation.

"Reconciliation being the process of making two people or groups of people friendly again after they have argued seriously," Kelley said during her closing remarks at the 2024 Martin Luther King Jr. Banquet at the Mack Gaston Community Center on Saturday, Jan. 13.

The banquet, part of a larger celebration of the life of Martin Luther King Jr. around Dalton, was a joint effort by the Dalton-Whitfield NAACP and the Martin Luther King Jr. Committee.

In order to move forward, Kelley encouraged those in attendance to forgive one another despite their differences.

"We've all had serious arguments, fought and been kept apart from each other," Kelley said. "There's separation. We already know what's happened and where we've been but in order to get where we're going, we must be reconciled."

Kelley also spoke of the idea of "power."

"When I think about power I think about how this idea of Black people having power turned into something that's scary, that the Black Power movement that emphasized racial pride, economic empowerment and the creation of political and cultural institutions for Black people became something that should be feared," Kelley said. "And the rising demand of Black history courses and the greater embrace of African culture caused some people to tremble. Power becomes this naughty word and dangerous idea when it comes to Black people.

"To be Black — your skin tone, eyes, nose, hair, hips, lips, all of that — this hasn't always been synonymous with beauty, but yet here we are boldly Black and beautiful."

Kelley spoke about the teachings of John Henrik Clarke, a prominent 20th century African American historian and professor who helped pioneer the creation of Africana studies in academics.

"(He) said, 'To be Black and beautiful means nothing in this world, unless we are Black and powerful,'" Kelley said. "And that stopped me in my tracks because I know that we're beautiful; I see it every day. But are we powerful? and if we're not powerful, how do we obtain it? Is it something that we should even have?"

Concerning "power," Kelley said she doesn't think of "something that's abusive or something to fear."

"When I think about power, I think about my God," she said. "I think about how the blood will never lose its power. When I think about power, I think about love. I think about sacrifice. So, when I ask how do we obtain power, ultimately my conclusion is that power comes through reconciliation."

To achieve reconciliation, Kelley called attention to the lives of Martin Luther King Jr. and Jesus Christ.

"Much like Jesus' blood reconciles us, we can think about Dr. King's tears (that he) cried, his sleepless nights, his scary days, his own blood shed, so that we can be here tonight," Kelley said. "And why have we not been reconciled? If we want to live out Dr. King's dream, the only way that we can do it is together. and I know that we may not be where we want to be economically or even socially, but we should be one body and one community working together to do justice, to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God."