Tribute honors Martin Luther King Jr.

Members of the St. Paul Baptist Missionary Church youth choir sing a song by candlelight during Monday's Martin Luther King Jr. remembrance celebration in Gallup. (Photo by Jeff Jones/Independent)

By Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola
Staff Writer

GALLUP — The main speaker during Monday's tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. attributed his own professional success to the societal changes forged by the late civil rights leader.

Sylvester Stanley, Chief of the Gallup Police Department, told a crowd of about 150 people that had King never lived, he is certain he would never have had the opportunity to become the police chief in a city like Gallup.

"Dr. King is a great inspiration to me,"s aid Stanley. King inspired him as a youth, he added, and his example continues to inspire him today.

Stanley was one of six individuals and organizations honored on Martin Luther King Jr. Day by the local NAACP for their contributions to the community. In addition, Stanley was chosen to be the guest speaker for the annual awards program held in the Larry Brian Mitchell Recreation Center.

Mona Frazier, president of the Gallup NAACP, also presented community awards to Dr. Janet Arrowsmith and Dr. Steven Arrowsmith, Gallup physicians who have dedicated much of their professional and personal efforts to working in Africa; Rossi Bright, the director of Gallery 211, which hosts an annual student art and poetry show that honors the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.; Ken Collins, a local resident who helped establish public forums about the Israeli and Palestinian conflict; and the Christian Children's Home, which temporarily cares for children who have been neglected and/or abused.

The awards program followed the annual MLK Interfaith Prayer Service and March of Unity. The prayer service, led by Sister Rose Marie Cecchini, was held at the dance arena located adjacent to the Gallup Cultural Center. It featured prayers led by representatives of the Baha'i, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and Native American communities. Henry Adams of the NAACP read an excerpt from a speech King delivered to the Riverside Church of New York City in 1967.

This year's March of Unity was led by an honor guard from the Gallup Fire Department. As in previous years, the marchers represented the diversity of the Gallup community. Mayor Bob Rosebrough was one of the first participants to arrive at the prayer gathering and stayed throughout the afternoon's events. He was joined by city councilors Mary Ann Armijo, Pat Butler, and Bill Nechero.

As in previous years, many Native American community members participated in the march. Gary Ben, president of the National Native American Youth Coalition, said members of his group felt it was important to participate. King's non-violent, peaceful protests for equal justice opened up opportunities for all people, Ben said.

"Dr. Martin Luther King started it off," he said. "It's for everybody," he added.

"Dr. King laid that foundation for us - for all humanity," agreed Stanley in his speech. Originally from the South, Stanley said that although he was "a young man still," he was old enough to remember how life was before the civil rights movement.

"I lived on the other side of the tracks," he said of life in his Tennessee home town.

Stanley recalled the county courthouse of his childhood where black citizens had to use a different door into the courthouse and where restrooms and water fountains were marked "Whites Only. "And although his brother was a police officer, he said, his brother could only arrest blacks or poor whites. Well-to-do white suspects were off limits for a black police officer back then.

Stanley reminded the audience that it was only about a week ago that an elderly white suspect had been indicted and arrested in the 1964 murders of three civil rights workers who had been working to register black voters in Mississippi. "It's been a long time since 1964," said Stanley about the delayed justice.

On a personal level, Stanley believes King's life changed the opportunities he's had in his 30 year career in law enforcement. As a result, the police chief explained, a portrait of King hangs in his office. "That picture gives me strength throughout my day."

The last two positions he's held, Stanley told the audience, were positions he never thought he'd be offered: police chief positions at Isleta Pueblo and the City of Gallup. He credited Gallup's mayor and city manager for looking "at qualifications and not the color of my skin."

Referring to this year's theme for the King tribute, "The Struggle Continues," Stanley acknowledged that although times have changed, progress still was needed. "We've gotten better," he said, "but we still have a long way to go."