Youth voices lead Stillwater's MLK Jr. Day celebration
Nine young speakers shared messages of kindness and equality during community event at Mt. Zion Baptist Church
Young speakers shared messages of kindness and equality Monday during Stillwater's annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration at Mt. Zion Baptist Church, which followed a community unity march from the Stillwater Public Library.
The event, organized by Stillwater Community United, marked a shift to youth-led programming after years of traditional adult-focused celebrations. Nine young speakers, ranging from elementary school students to 19-year-old Jamiere Dickens-Smith, addressed a packed sanctuary about continuing Dr. King's dream.
"Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. believed that all people matter, and that everyone deserves respect," Dickens-Smith told the crowd. "When we choose kindness every day, we help make our community a better place. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how we're going to keep Dr. King's dream alive."
Community members, church leaders, and city officials march one-third of a mile from Stillwater Public Library to Mt. Zion Baptist Church on Monday January 19, 2026, during Stillwater's Martin Luther King Jr. Day unity march. Participants carried a banner reading "We share the dream" and signs promoting love and equality before gathering at the church for a youth-led program celebrating Dr. King's legacy. – Photos by Chris Peters
The one-third mile march from the library to the church drew city leaders, church members and community residents. Inside Mt. Zion, youth hosts Nyla and Taylor guided attendees through a program featuring children's choir performances, the Black National Anthem and speeches emphasizing Dr. King's message of peaceful change.
Karen Washington, a Stillwater Community United member who directed the children's choir, said the idea for youth-led programming emerged from a committee meeting when organizers discussed finding speakers.
"I thought, okay, what do y'all think about the youth doing it?" Washington said. "I was always trying to find a speaker. So I thought, this is something the youth need to start learning and building."
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The committee's biggest challenge was time. Planning began after New Year's Day because of Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, giving organizers limited rehearsal time. Despite the compressed schedule, Washington said the young people delivered.
The shift to Mt. Zion also proved successful after last year's event at Stillwater Community Center drew a smaller crowd.
"Last year we had it at the Stillwater Community Center, and it didn't look like it was very many people," Washington said. "So they said, well, it originated here in Mount Zion. Let's take it back to the church."
Stillwater Mayor Will Joyce, left, addresses attendees during Sunday's Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration at Mt. Zion Baptist Church, calling it one of the city's best King celebrations in years. The children's choir, center, performs during the youth-led program. Pastor Calvin Miller, right, delivers closing remarks emphasizing the importance of collective action in carrying forward Dr. King's legacy. – Photos by Chris Peters
Mayor Will Joyce praised the youth-focused approach, calling it one of Stillwater's best MLK celebrations in years.
"It's so inspiring to see young people in our community coming together to put in that same effort and sacrifice because they're the ones that are going to carry this community forward for the next six decades as well," Joyce said.
The mayor referenced one of Dr. King's core messages about progress requiring sustained effort.
"One of the wonderful things that I always remember from what Dr. King said was that human progress is not inevitable. It's not automatic. It doesn't just happen," Joyce said. "It requires our effort and our work and our sacrifice."
Dickens-Smith said participating helped him overcome stage fright and share an important message.
"I faced my fears because I used to have stage fright like a lot," Dickens-Smith said after the event. "I faced my fears in practice. I believed in myself."
He said his speech focused on equal treatment because discrimination remains relevant today.
"I feel like everybody should be treated kindly and fairly," Dickens-Smith said. "A lot of people are going through [discrimination] just because, you know, their face or skin color or anything. I believe that everyone should be treated as equal as anybody else is."
Pastor Calvin Miller of Mt. Zion Baptist Church emphasized the importance of collective action in carrying forward Dr. King's legacy.
"Dr. Martin Luther King said, if you can't fly, run. If you can't run, walk. If you can't walk, crawl," Miller said. "But whatever you do, keep moving. And so it's very important that we keep moving towards loving each other, helping each other, encouraging each other."
Cristy Morrison, who has been hosting Stillwater Community United Committee meetings for several years, said the group worked to show appreciation for the young speakers by providing gift cards from a local business.
"The committee wanted to show appreciation to those who spoke tonight," Morrison said. "Because I know that takes some guts, right?"
The event concluded with choir performances and benediction, leaving attendees with a charge to continue King's work through daily actions and community engagement.
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