August marks the 63rd anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington, during which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his immortal “I Have A Dream” speech.
This moment in history has been preserved by two memorials: the Civil Rights Foot Soldiers Memorial in Annapolis and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the Arnold campus of Anne Arundel Community College.
I remember attending Anne Arundel Community College as a student in the 1970s. I remember when Ujimia, the Black Student Union, filed a formal complaint alleging that the college discriminated against African Americans.
At the time of that complaint, there were only four Black faculty members. That complaint led to more Black faculty and student members being hired and attending the college.
In 2006, I had the privilege of attending the dedication of the aforementioned memorial to Dr. King.
In attendance were the late U.S. Sen. Paul Sarbanes, then-Congressman Ben Cardin, then-Congressman Chris Van Hollen, Congressman Kweisi Mfume, the late Speaker Michael E. Busch, then-County Executive Janet S. Owens, former Councilman Daryl Jones, former Annapolis Police Department Chief Joseph S. Johnson, NAACP’s Gerald Stansbury, Dr. Martha A. Smith, sculptor Ed Dwight, Dimitri Sfakiyanudis, Dee Goodwyn and hundreds of others.
Anne Arundel Community College is the home for this memorial. They once had a slogan, “AACC — the place where dreams are realized.”
Over the decades, many King memorial breakfasts have been held in his memory on that campus. In fact, that is the place where Yolanda King, daughter of Coretta Scott King and Dr. King, spoke.
Other speakers included the late Congressman Parren J. Mitchell, James Farmer of the Congress of Racial Equality, Randall Robinson of TransAfrica, Congressman Walter Fauntroy, Dick Gregory and former U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski. Each keynote speaker talked about “the dream.”
Something happened this year, which largely went unnoticed. A “dream” was realized. On July 1, Dr. Tanya Millner was named the interim president of Anne Arundel Community College, becoming the first African American to head this college.
How ironic that in 2006, the King Memorial was dedicated, and in 2026, a Black woman is named interim president. What a moment in history. What a moment to be celebrated.
On Tuesday at 5 p.m., we have invited Dr. Millner; A. Joyce Price-Jones, chair of AACC’s Board of Trustees; Sen. Shaneka Henson; County Executive Steuart Pittman; Mayor Jared Littmann; Gloria Dent, president of Anne Arundel County Public Schools, Kristina Korona, president of the Teachers Association of Anne Arundel County; philanthropist Maurice B. Tosé and members of the community to join us in celebrating “the dream.”
The Caucus of African American Leaders will host a community celebration at the iconic Wiley H. Bates Legacy Center, 1101 Smithville Street, Annapolis.
A complimentary dinner will be served, courtesy of Rebecca and Larry White Sr. There are many ways to celebrate the “I Have A Dream” speech.
However, I think that when a student group can go from protesting to a community celebrating progress, it speaks volumes.
I end this column with this quote from Dr. King, which is emblazoned on the Civil Rights Foot Soldiers Memorial directly across from the Arundel Center:
“Today, our very survival depends on our ability to stay awake, to adjust to new ideas, to remain vigilant and to face the challenge of change.” It has been more than six decades since Dr. King uttered those words.
It is also the reason that I end all my columns with “A Luta Continua,” which means in Portuguese that the struggle continues for peace, racial equality, and social justice.
Join us on Tuesday when we celebrate both the dreamer and the dream and thank God for making America better and not bitter. A Luta Continua!
Carl Snowden is convener of the Caucus of African American Leaders. Contact him at carl_snowden@hotmail.com.
