Shifting the Cultural Climate at Sharon Sheffield Park - Lynn Haven

LYNN HAVEN, FL - On January 15th, an uplifting sense of celebration filled Sharon Sheffield Park in Lynn Haven as members of our community came together to commemorate and honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This engaging event brought together people from many walks of life who support the continuing struggle against violence, hate and poverty. The pioneering work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. indicates that Kingian Nonviolence is the sustainable solution to injustice, with the ultimate goal of creating the Beloved Community, where injustice will cease and love will prevail.

Some supporters of the event were representatives of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Basic NWFL, Inc., Democratic Women’s Club, LEAD Coalition of Bay County, Inc., Upsilon Alpha Alpha Omega Psi Phi, Inc., Bay County League of Women Voters, Bay County Vet Center, 14th Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office, Theta Psi Zeta and Bay County NAACP.

This year’s strategic theme was Shifting the Cultural Climate Through the Study and Practices of Kingian Nonviolence. During an earlier celebration of this spiritual leader on Saturday, the distinguished speaker, Dr. Frederick D Woods, discussed this theme, explaining that non-violence is a philosophy of conflict resolution and organizing strategies that Dr. King used for the civil rights movement and that this holistic view of conflict includes the study and analysis of conflicts, understanding conflicts, the principles of non-violence, the values of the community, and how to address conflict and restore relationships. He elaborated on the first principle, “Non-violence is a way of life for courageous people,” explaining that this means handling conflict in a way that does not harm other people. Dr. Woods said this requires courage, self-discipline, good temperament, being emotionally stable and spiritually sound.

The principles of non-violence could be of value to everyone. There is much progress still to be made in the continuing struggle against violence, hate and poverty.