Oxford celebrates MLK Day with art, song and calls for meaningful conversations

More than a hundred Oxford residents braved the cold on Monday to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day at the Oxford Community Arts Center.

The event, co-sponsored by the city and the Oxford NAACP, featured artwork submitted by more than 60 residents centered on the theme “Meaningful Dialogue Across Differences,” including many submissions from local elementary and middle school students. Ann Wengler, Oxford NAACP education co-chair, recognized 15 winners during the event.

This year, MLK Day fell on the second inauguration of President Donald Trump. His election victory loomed over the remarks of multiple speakers at the Oxford event, though none referenced him by name.

“The last election cycle put our belief in democracy up front and on the line,” said Ron Scott, a retired vice president of institutional diversity from Miami University who speaks annually during the event. “Quite frankly, democracy took a major hit.”

Trump’s victory last November, the first time he’s ever won the popular vote, came with increased vote shares across demographic groups, including Black men and women. Scott said voters who were disheartened by the results need not to back away from diversity, equity and inclusion efforts or avoid tough conversations over the next four years.

“We must acknowledge that our failure to trust one another enough to be able to talk to one another has become so great that facts and truth no longer matter, and history has become irrelevant,” Scott said.

Tarah Trueblood, director of Miami University’s Center for American and World Cultures, connected King’s legacy to the need for “authentic dialogue” today. 

“Dialogue is a different form of communication. It’s different from debate, and it’s even different from discussion,” Trueblood said. “To dialogue is to be vulnerable, to be empathetic.” To have productive dialogue, Trueblood said people need to be intentional about listening to and understanding other perspectives instead of waiting to make their next points.

Fran Jackson, president of the Oxford NAACP, said MLK Day is a day of both remembrance and service. The organization honored the service aspect through volunteer efforts and by donating canned goods to the Talawanda-Oxford Pantry and Social Services (TOPSS), she said.

“If Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was still with us today, he would call on us to continue to build what he called the beloved community,” Jackson said. King’s idea of a “beloved community” was one which does not tolerate poverty, hunger, homelessness or other ailments and works to replace racism and other forms of discrimination with inclusivity.

Attendees of the celebration joined hands to sing the spiritual “We Shall Overcome” as the event ended. The Oxford NAACP meets on the first Monday of most months and is open to all members of the community.