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Dallas, NC (WNN)- Town leaders, residents, and church leaders came together at the Dallas Historic Courthouse on Monday, January 19th, 2026, for a Martin Luther King Day Commemoration Event.
Reverend Rebecca Foster delivered the Invocation for the event, which centered on King's Letter from Birmingham Jail. He wrote the letter in 1963 while being imprisoned for peacefully protesting segregation.
Rev Rebecca Foster giving the Invocation speech at the MLK Commemorative Event | January 19th, 2026
Lauren Ramsey (WNN)
Foster felt called to revisit King's letter after not reading it since high school. "I was convicted by the depth of character, courage, and hope that he possessed during a time of immense suffering and darkness," Foster said. " A time when he should have been supported by many religious leaders, but was met with an overwhelming silence."
Foster quoted from King's letter, where he addressed white clergy who criticized him as an extremist. In the letter, King gave the label a new perspective, questioning if Jesus, the prophet Amos, the apostle Paul, Martin Luther, and Abraham Lincoln weren't also considered extremists.
"The question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice or for the extension of justice?"
She challenged those in attendance to be a "city on a hill, a light in the darkness, calling for love and brotherhood of all mankind in the face of evil and inequality".
Dallas Mayor Haley Beatty spoke next, giving a personal reflection on how her views on race and culture have changed over time.
Dallas Mayor Haley Beatty speaking at the MLK Commemorative Event | January 19th,2026
Lauren Ramsey (WNN)
Beatty, who says she grew up after segregation ended, explained that as a child, it was easy to love everyone equally. However, after attending an event on Saturday, January 17th, she said she has gained a new understanding.
"The history behind color and the culture is important and is valued," Beatty said. "And that is something that I have recently learned within this year." Beatty also noted the community has "a lot of work left to do" in raising children to embrace their differences while understanding history and culture.
"It is our responsibility to teach the heritage and culture of our past and teach us and our kids how to make it better for the future," she said, thanking the community for their patience, conversations and prayers.
Before the Keynote speaker was introduced, those in attendance watched a 6-minute video of King's infamous "I Have a Dream" speech, delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., during the 1963 March.
MLK's infamous "I Have a Dream" speech at the MLK Commemorative Event | January 19th,2026
Lauren Ramsey (WNN)
The clip showed King's hope for a nation where children would "not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." He also dreamed of a time when "the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood."
To watch the full "I Have a Dream" speech, click here.
Dr. John Spencer, pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Dallas, delivered the keynote address. He discussed King's idea of the "beloved community" and how it still matters in modern America. Spencer described King as "one of our nation's greatest individuals," but cautioned that King is still "our nation's most underappreciated and most misunderstood hero."
To show the scale of racism King faced, Spencer shared events from the 1950s in Monroe, North Carolina. This town, similar to Dallas in size, had incidents like a Black maid being pushed down hotel stairs by a white guest. Spencer also mentioned a pregnant Black woman whose white attacker went free, even with witnesses.
He described King's journey, from leading the Montgomery bus boycott to establishing the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, highlighting that King's dream was much larger than just surface-level integration. He also shared a quote from King during a 1959 youth march in Washington. King had said, "As I stand here and look out upon the thousands of Black faces, and the thousands of white faces intermingled like the waters of a river, I see one face, the face of the future."
Spencer talked about King's vision of the "beloved community." He said it focused on creating a country where everyone would be treated with dignity and respect. This community would rest on a "deep internalized moral belief and commitment by every citizen to the equality of every other citizen."
He explained King's six principles of nonviolent resistance, emphasizing that they involved rejecting both physical aggression and hatred while being ready to endure suffering to redeem. Spencer quoted King saying, "The nonviolent resister not refuses to shoot his opponent, but he also refuses to hate him." He added that love stands at the core of nonviolence.
Tying King's ideas to recent events, Spencer noted that many Americans are protesting decisions made by elected officials. He suggested revisiting King's principles could help save lives and accomplish the goals of these protests.
"Perhaps a national commitment to achieving the beloved community is what America needs today," Spencer said. "It could be that Dr. King's legacy holds the answers to how we thrive and endure as a nation built by and serving its people."
He closed by urging attendees to leave determined to make King's dream a reality rather than "a dream deferred."
The highlight of the program happened when Shirlene Hoke, a retired Dallas educator, was honored with the MLK Lifetime Achievement Award. Dr. Pearl Burris Floyd, who once served as a Gaston County commissioner and North Carolina state senator, presented the award.
Pearl Burris Floyd presenting Shirlene Hoke with the MLK Lifetime Achievement Award | January 19th, 2026
Lauren Ramsey (WNN)
Floyd spoke with emotion as she introduced Hoke, calling her a person who had shaped many lives, crossing racial boundaries both during and after segregation.
"She did everything she did without thinking of skin color," Floyd shared. "She acted not out of obligation or force but from a love so genuine and deep that she touched everyone around her."
Floyd then asked the crowd to raise their hands if Hoke had influenced their lives, and in response, many hands went up. "And there are so many others who couldn’t make it here today, but they’d also have their hands raised high," Floyd said.
Floyd shared memories of how Hoke taught music in schools during segregation. She led kids in singing and helped them learn to play instruments like the piano and violin. When integration began during Floyd's fifth-grade year, Hoke offered essential support.
"She told me to just be myself. She said not to worry about what others might say or think. She told me not to be scared," Floyd said. "To me, she was like a big sister."
Floyd talked about Hoke's modest nature, emphasizing that despite earning both bachelor's and master's degrees, she dedicated her life to teaching and helping others without expecting praise. "She's a Dallas native and has spent most of her life here helping anyone she could," Floyd said.
While accepting the award, Hoke spoke about her educational path. She attended Dallas Elementary School but had to go to Lincoln High School in Bessemer City even though Dallas High School was just a short distance from her house.
"I used to walk past Dallas High and wonder sometimes, but I never knew why I couldn't go there," Hoke shared. She credited her mentor, Margaret Wilson, who taught her piano and motivated her to attend Talladega College in Alabama. There, both she and her brother earned scholarships that covered half the tuition as long as they kept their grades up.
Hoke's journey in teaching led her back to Dallas. She started teaching sixth grade before stepping into Dallas High School as a teacher.
"My heart shifted. It shifted the moment I walked in that day," she shared.
She called her time at Dallas Elementary "some of the happiest days of my life," where she taught kids from all backgrounds who were "a joy to teach."
"I thank God for letting the kids teach me," Hoke said. "They showed me how to connect with others. They showed me they wanted structure."
Over the years, Hoke mentioned that many of her past students have reached out through social media to express what her teaching meant in their lives.
"I think I had a great career," she said. "And I thank God for it."
The event ended with attendees singing "We Shall Overcome" by Pete Seeger. Refreshments were also provided. Overall, it was a time to celebrate and learn from the lessons that Martin Luther King Jr left behind, which are more influential than most realize.
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