After years of Covid cancellations, several hundred people gathered in Christ Chapel on the Gettysburg College campus last evening for the 41st annual Adams County Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration.
The long-running event is the brainchild of Mary-Alice Nutter, who was honored at the event with the “Living the Dream Legacy Award.”
Nancy Lilley, Advocacy Director at the YWCA of Gettysburg and Adams County, the sponsor of the Living the Dream Legacy Award, said the crowd was one of the largest she had seen in some years. And Joe Lynch, college Executive Director Alumni Relations said that he believed it was the “local flair” of the event that had attracted such a large crowd.
Megan Shreve, CEO of South Central Community Action Programs, Inc. (SCCAP), and co-sponsor of the event with Gettysburg College, said in her opening remarks that more attention had been paid this year to emphasize the local community in the planning of the event.
The night was filled with music. As people slowly poured into the chapel, they were welcomed by soothing sounds from the Biglerville High School Jazz Band, under the direction of Rei Phillipi. The Brownsville Church of God Worship Team, under Worship Leader Tanisha Johnson contributed a gospel flair in their musical numbers, one of which honored one of their members who had recently passed away. The Gettysburg Children’s Choir and Chamber Chorale, led by Artistic Director Matt Carlson, also performed.
This writer accepted the Living the Dream Legacy Award on behalf of Nutter, who was unable to attend. The standing ovation honoring her decades-long community organizing and her fight for racial justice in Gettysburg was well-deserved.
Several of her legacies were in the audience:
- Tracie Potts is the current President of the Eisenhower Institute and the first Black woman to lead the Institute.
- Tymia Green, the current CEO of the YWCA of Gettysburg and Adams County and first Black woman to serve in that position.
- And of course, Mayor Rita Frealing, Gettysburg’s first Black mayor and first female mayor.
The standing ovation received by Taurean Moses, the first Black attorney in Gettysburg’s 243 year history, was the highlight of the evening. His speech brought verbal praises from the audience and several rounds of applause.
The evening was capped off by a reception at the College Union Building, hosted by College President Bob Iuliano and his wife Susan, and Gretchen Natter, Executive Director of the Center for Public Service and Assistant Dean of College Life.
Elmer Shelton, freelance reporter:
I was born and raised in Selbyville, DE. In 1997, I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature, from Gettysburg College. And in 2003, I earned a Master of Social Work degree from Temple University. Prior to moving back to Gettysburg, in April of 2018, I had spent 13 years living in Portland, ME. - I am a fanatical tennis lover and an avid volleyball fan. I have been vegan and gluten-free for a decade and would describe myself as a hippie minimalist. I am employed by Pennsylvania Counseling Services, as a Forensic Outpatient Therapist. When I am not working, I am primarily engaged with my college fraternity, Alpha Chi Rho, where I serve as President of its Alumni Board. I am also the Recording Secretary for the Gettysburg Black History Museum, a position that has exposed me to the countless ways Black people have contributed to the town and state. Lastly, I am a member of the Gettysburg branch of Democracy For America, where I am learning more about how local and state politics work in PA.