Iowa State Alumni Association President Jeff Johnson shares 3 ways Martin Luther King Jr. impacted his life

Wherever Jeff Johnson and his middle school sweetheart, Peggy, have moved, a copy of Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech he acquired in college had its place in their home.

Though the walls have changed, the placement has one constant: it must be somewhere where the person who might engage with it is by themselves. In Ames, it has hung in their guest bathroom for almost 24 years.

"They aren't ever questioned on if they saw it or read it. Their hearts or consciouses take care of that," Johnson said. "What does amaze Peggy and me over these 36 years are the number of folks who have thanked us for making this speech a visible reminder in our home, and the speech has allowed us to engage in many thoughtful and open conversations."

Johnson, president and CEO of the Iowa State Alumni Association, was the keynote speaker at Monday's annual Ames and Story County MLK Day Celebration, an event Story County has held for 36 years.

The annual event returned to in-person at the Ames City Auditorium after a completely virtual event last year — though people could still watch from home as COVID-19 cases rise. Once again, Meeker Elementary students performed the song "Martin Luther King," a recording of which was played Monday over a video of students holding signs that read, "I have a dream because of him."

MLK Day Committee member and Ames Housing Coordinator Vanessa Baker-Latimer became emotional after the video.

"Children are our future and we have to keep it that way," Baker-Latimer said.

Speakers honored King's legacy by speaking to issues people still face today. Chair of the Story County Board of Supervisors Latifah Faisal quoted King: "So long as I do not firmly and irrevocably possess the right to vote. I do not possess myself. I cannot make up my own mind. It is made up for me."

Iowa election laws underwent changes in recent years, Faisal said. Polls close an hour earlier and the timeline for early voting was reduced with new legislation passed last year.

"The question is who will these changes impact most?" Faisal said. "They will burden the voices of those who already face the greatest obstacles to participation."

Johnson said the effort to ban certain books on race and block schools from teaching race theory and the 1619 Project.

"Some people in groups are working hard to keep conversations and teachings regarding Black history out our public schools," Johnson said.

But Johnson made an effort to stick to Monday's theme of how King's "I Have a Dream" speech shaped his life, a speech given the year he was born.

He said the speech first provided insight into the hearts of adults and his own parents. Johnson grew up with a father who preached he live "life from a place of luggage, not baggage." He said he grew up thinking nothing of the marks of racism in their community.

He realized later this upbringing was a sign of his parents' faith America would one day accept Black people, a vision laid out in the "I have a dream speech."

"It was my dad saying it was his responsibility to not burden his children with the cares of the days," Johnson said. "He later told us that if we kept our noses clean, held firm to our personal dreams, worked hard...we could chart our futures."

Johnson, a man of faith, said King also showed him the importance of church and God in Black communities, which he referred to as "salt, pepper and sugar."

"They weren't just there," Johnson said. "They were daily staples."

Since the enslavement of Africans, through violence and oppression, Johnson said the church and a connection to God sustained the Black community. Beyond religion, the church was where Johnson said his family got information for the day.

To understand this connection, he said to just take a moment to study American history.

"My family could not go to any country clubs. We weren't allowed to join social clubs, professional clubs or even the League of Women Voters," Johnson said. "So we dressed up and we went to the church."

Finally, Johnson said he gained a belief in humanity from the "I Have a Dream" speech.

Monday, the city recognized some individuals upholding Dr. King's dream, including Ames High School Senior Nath Limas, who was awarded for his essay on King's "Letters from Birmingham Jail" which he shared with the audience.

The Ames Human Relations Commission awarded United Way Community Impact Director Anneke Mundel and the COVID-19 Emergency Fund for Story County Immigrants with 2022 Ames Humanitarian Awards.

"Like my dad, Dr. King spoke to being neighborly throughout his life," Johnson said. "To our young people today, keep that hope alive."

Danielle Gehr is a politics and government reporter for the Ames Tribune. She can be reached by email at dgehr@gannett.com, phone at (515) 663-6925 or on Twitter at @Dani_Gehr.

This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: ISUAA President Jeff Johnson explains how MLK impacted his life