'We shall overcome today:' Civil rights veteran preaches hope at MLK Day celebration

Bryce Buyakie, The Daily Record
·3 min read
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Rev. Gwendolyn Webb addressed the crowd.
Rev. Gwendolyn Webb addressed the crowd.
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WOOSTER − The Rev. Gwendolyn Webb of Birmingham, Alabama, preached a message of hope and a call to action Monday evening for the over 300 people at the 2023 Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration at First Presbyterian Church.

While her message was for everyone, it was directed largely at the youngest generations, including the 12 students from across Wayne County schools who won this year's MLK essay contest.

Webb's lived history:Birmingham Children's Crusade activist to visit Wooster for MLK Day events

It was a packed sanctuary at First Presbyterian Church in Wooster for the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration with over 300 people.
It was a packed sanctuary at First Presbyterian Church in Wooster for the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration with over 300 people.

"Respect is not just given; it is earned," Webb told the crowd at the Wooster/Orrville NAACP-hosted event. "I know that children are our future, and we must teach them well and show them the beauty they all have inside."

Webb marched in the Birmingham Children's Crusade at 14 years old and was arrested with hundreds of other children and teenagers. It was that march that led to the city's desegregation.

Six decades later, Webb believes the youngest generations can and will enact change. But that change, she explained to the crowd, can only happen if everyone shows up to demonstrations.

"It's not about race, creed or color," Webb said. "It's about the heart in all of us."

Change is possible: Resilience in the face of adversity

Audience participation to Darion Stanford's singing.
Audience participation to Darion Stanford's singing.

Throughout Webb's keynote speech, she referenced songs to describe a worldview that was founded in the success of the civil rights movement of the 1960s. It promotes a message of resilience in the face of adversity.

When she marched with hundreds of other teenagers and children, local law enforcement responded with force, using police dogs, hoses and batons to disperse the crowd of minors.

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Darion Stanford sang for those in attendence.
Darion Stanford sang for those in attendence.

Despite the arrests and violence, the movement persisted, eventually succeeding in desegregating local businesses.

When she became the second Black female police officer in Birmingham, she said it was not easy. She was not wanted, but again, she persisted.

"I told them I shall not be moved, just like a tree," Webb recounted, referencing the song "I Shall Not Be Moved." "I told them that my first night."

The Wooster High School Choir sang several songs during the celebration, including "Lift Every Voice."
The Wooster High School Choir sang several songs during the celebration, including "Lift Every Voice."

When Webb marched in 1963, she was done waiting to push for change in Birmingham. It was not something that could be put off any longer.

To reflect this, she changed the lyrics of "We Shall Over Come."

"We shall overcome today, not someday," Webb said. To include all people, she changed the lyrics of "Black and white together" to "Black, white and others."

Before finishing her speech, she asked the essay winners present to sing with her, and they were soon joined by the Wooster High School choir, who sang "We Shall Over Come" and "Lean On Me."

Honoring area students; nearly 500 essays submitted

The group of top three winners in the Martin luther King Essay Contest for all four grade divisions is shown at the ceremony.
The group of top three winners in the Martin luther King Essay Contest for all four grade divisions is shown at the ceremony.

Of the nearly 500 entries submitted from around Wayne County schools, 12 essays earned awards, from elementary to high school.

Each essay reflected on the significance of the civil rights movement in Birmingham and the Birmingham Children's Crusade.

Awards were presented by Webb and Wooster-Orrville NAACP President Juanita Greene.

Luke Fannnon took first place in the Martin Luther King Essay contest for grades 1-3..
Luke Fannnon took first place in the Martin Luther King Essay contest for grades 1-3..

In grades one-three, third grader Luke Fannon of Green Elementary School won first place. First grader Kara Baldwin of Orrville Elementary won second and third grader Cooper Dillon of Rittman Elementary placed third.

Cole Edwardstook first place in the Martin Luther King Essay contest for grades 4-6..
Cole Edwardstook first place in the Martin Luther King Essay contest for grades 4-6..

For grades four-six, Edgewood Middle School's sixth grader Cole Edwards placed first followed by Melrose Elementary fourth grader Kanishka Gunikuntla and Montessori School's Adalynn Cutlip, sixth grade.

Mateo Snyder took first place in the Martin Luther King Essay contest for grades 7-9.
Mateo Snyder took first place in the Martin Luther King Essay contest for grades 7-9.

Eighth grader Mateo Snyder of Orrville Middle School placed first for grades seven-nine. Jack Shindollar, grade seven of St. Mary School, placed second followed by Edgewood seventh grader Joel French.

Lisa Simmavanh took first place in the Martin Luther King Essay contest for grades 9-12.
Lisa Simmavanh took first place in the Martin Luther King Essay contest for grades 9-12.

Lisa Simmavanh, a sophomore at Orrville High School, placed first followed by Tri-County Internation Academy's 11th-grade Janiyah Murillo and Waynedale High School's senior Brant Herman.

In honor of Webb's visit and to give students the opportunity to visit her historic hometown, the NAACP announced it would gift $1,500 to fund a Birmingham trip for College of Wooster students.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Civil rights veteran speaks of hope at Wooster MLK Day celebration