FRANKLIN
Almost 52 years after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stood in front of the Lincoln Memorial and told the country that he had a dream, the community of Franklin-Southampton County got together at Paul D. Camp Community College to make sure that dream never dissipates.

On Monday, Sydney Ivey, 6, of Boykins, helped lead the procession as one of the Girl Scouts of Group No. 5073. As the community did five laps around the parking lot, Ivey heard the speech for the first time.

“He wanted everyone to get along,” the Meherrin Elementary School student said. “He said that people can fix problems peacefully. That’s good.”

As the group walked, the entirety of that speech played on the loudspeaker, and 18-year-old Andrianna Leonard said that was a nice touch.

“It was very inspirational,” the Southampton High School student said. “Hearing him speak as we walked, along with it being kind of cold, caused my eyes to water.”

The Debutant was also part of the program, as Leonard performed three songs, including “How I Got Over,” where several Debutants joined her on stage to be a part of the chorus.

“I was a little nervous just standing up there,” the Courtland native said. “It helped a lot when they came up to help me sing.”

Despite being nervous, she drew big applause from the crowd at the fifth annual Martin Luther King “Keep United in Our Community Walk,” put on by Girl Scout Group No. 5073, Alpha Kappa Alpha and Kappa Alpha Psi.

As part of the event, Dr. Andrea Hall-Leonard broke down the speech on a rhetorical level, so that people could better understand it.

She also had a message that continued to resonate throughout the morning.

“As we reflect, listen and learn about ‘I Have a Dream,’ I want you to reflect about your dreams,” Leonard said. “How many of y’all are still dreaming? It’s never too late to make your dream a reality.”

After Leonard, Juanita Smith of Newport News gave a tribute to Coretta Scott King. Before the awards were given out, the 2015 Alpha Kappa Alpha and Kappa Alpha Psi Debutants and Beaux gave a tribute to the four King children: Yolanda, Martin III, Dexter and Bernice, who lost their father on April 4, 1968, in Memphis to an assassin’s bullet.

Charles Branch, 17, was one of the Beaux to talk about Dexter, who was only 7 when their father died. He said he thought that presentations went well.

“I really liked it — it was a good thing to be a part of,” the Southampton High School student said. “It was also good to see people in the community come out and participate.”

The awards were dedicated to “Drum Majors for Service,” and in the spirit of Dr. King and his wife, the awards went to couples involved in ministry.

For Franklin, the award went to the Revs. Dwight and Jennell Riddick of First Baptist Church. The couple were instrumental in helping the scouts kick off the first walk and they have both been involved in the schools and community, said Kisha Watford, Boykins Girl Scout leader.

The Rev. Dr. Lillian Faison and Carl Faison earned the honor for Southampton County. The pair founded the Boykins Neighborhood Outreach Center, which helps students after school.

“We love children,” Lillian Faison said. “We raised five of our own, and now we are helping with 68 others.

“I will always cherish this award.”

At the end of the walk, Sydney Ivey admitted that she was tired. Despite that, she still enjoyed the event.

“In the first part, my legs got tired,” Sydney said. “But the next part was awesome!”