The 14th Annual Muskogee Black Heritage Celebration was held February 24th at the Muskogee Civic Center. The event, which is organized by the Muskogee County Department of Human Services, was a testament to the great passion Muskogee DHS employees have for their community. The event was open to the public and attended by almost 100 individuals. Also attending were OPEA Membership Representative Haley Blood and OPEA Board Director Mike Jackson who also serves as the Muskogee DHS County Director. “Our local OPEA Chapter is active in many community events and the Black Heritage Celebration starts the year 2010 in a great way,” said Jackson.
OKDHS employee and OPEA member Audrey Rucker served as the mistress of ceremony for the event which was attended by several OPEA members in Muskogee County. The event featured poetry read by Lansing Lee, a gospel rap written and performed by Pastor Steve Wiley and guest speaker Dr. Rev. BW Noble. Dr. Noble shared his memories of marching in Washington D.C. with the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. and personally hearing his famous “I have a Dream” speech. Noble said he then had the opportunity to see part of Dr. King’s dream come true when he was able to attend the inauguration of President Barack Obama at the same location.
“The event was truly impressive,” said Blood. “It is evident Muskogee DHS employees take pride in their community. They provided historic insight of Black Heritage in Muskogee while forecasting the things to come with their theme: ‘We Are Not Done Yet.’ I hope to share other community events such as this with OPEA members in the near future.”
Other persons included on the itinerary were Chris Dover, Carolyn Bowens, Lynn Thompson, OKDHS Office of Civil Rights, Juanda Perkins, and the singing of the Black National Anthem by Muskogee DHS Employees.
