AMERICUS — The Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee of Sumter County Inc. begins its celebratory events of King’s life with a Freedom Walk, which starts just before the commemoration program at 11:30 a.m. Monday, beginning at Rylander Park, downtown.

Participating ministers and members of the committee and community will march from the Rylander Park, singing freedom songs, to Bethesda Baptist Missionary Church, 225 Forrest St. where the annual commemoration program will be held.

The chosen theme for this year’s program is “Our children, Our Future.” According to committee member Juanita Wilson, the theme was chosen because as simple as it is, “children are the future.” Children within the Sumter County community will be highlighted and featured throughout the program as they perform and lead the program. Performances include a performance by the AmeriGospel Children Choir, an interpretive dance by Betty Harvey and a duet by Adreenia Seay and Deangela Tullis. George McKenzie will give the welcome and Nelsondria Brown will give the occasion. These are all students within the Sumter County Schools system.

“It is important that we train and teach our children in the way that we were — looking out for one another and sharing wisdom along the way,” said Wilson.

According to Wilson, children of today don’t know enough about their past.

“It is important to know your history ... you have to know where you come from to understand your future. It is up to us (the adults) to wake up and capture our children, leave a legacy for them to follow because without it, they are lost and so are we,” she said.

To help emphasize the importance of the theme, the committee selected Oneida Ingram, Ph.D., as guest speaker of the program. She was chosen by the committee not only because she is a 31-year veteran educator but also because she is seen as a person who aims to make King’s dream a reality.

“Oneida grew up in the civil rights era. She is a dynamic individual that exemplifies and portrays the dream of Martin Luther King and on top of that, she loves and cares for children,” said Wilson.

Ingram began her professional career as an educator in the Dooly County School where she served as a pre-K teacher and director of the pre-K program for 16 years, principal of the elementary and middle schools for 13 years and two years at the Central Office level as director of the Student Support Services. She made history in the Dooly County School System by becoming the first and only black female principal.

“I am truly one of those who has benefited from the struggles and works of Martin Luther King. His life is a testimony of my life ... I am able to celebrate my personal and professional achievements because of his plight,” said Ingram.

Ingram believes that she made a difference in the lives of her students with her firm belief that “all children can learn, not on the same day and not in the same way.

“I commend the committee on its timely and important theme, ‘Our Children, Our Future,’” she said. “During my tenure in the Dooly County School system, I brought growth and a sense of love, pride, commitment and excellence not only to my staff but also to my students.”

After retiring from Dooly County, Ingram decided to return home where she immediately kept her focus on the need of children. For two years, she served with the juvenile courts as a truancy intake officer to help prevent high school drop-outs, improve attendance and improve graduation rates. She is currently employed with the Macon County Board of Education as the coordinator of the D.F. Douglass Educational Center. According to Ingram, this center provides a non-traditional setting for elementary, middle and high school students, which effectively addresses behavior issues while concentrating on academics as well.

“It’s an alternative educational opportunity for those students who have been excluded from the regular school program,” said Ingram.

Ingram considers herself to be “home grown.” When she retired in 2003, she said it was time to come home. Ingram lives in Americus with her husband Arthur. She is the mother of three: Toddy, Ayada and Mary. She enjoys spending time with her grandchildren: Terrance, Jasmine, Naomi, Destinee’ and Madison.

“I am from a big family ... the fifth of 10 children. I enjoy my family, spending time with them,” she said.

Like the King committee, Ingram is honored for the opportunity to share her knowledge and wisdom.

“I am extremely excited, blessed and honored. My heart is filled with joy and gratitude for the opportunity to serve as speaker for the 2008 Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration.

“I extend a whole-hearted thank you to Nadine Pope and the committee for entrusting in me that I might be worthy of this important endeavor.

“Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dedication to the fight against racial inequality united people across the world. Now celebrating what would have been his 70th birthday, his legacy is still as much alive as the day he shared his dream and is still uniting people everywhere ... what it would it be like today if Martin Luther King had not had a dream? We commemorate the universal unconditional love that empowered his life.”