New Haven Independent

Donijah (pictured) and a choir of his schoolmates were featured guests on Thursday at the annual Love March, the celebration of the birthday of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Junior. The event is organized each year by the Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church on Lawrence Avenue in East Rock.

As in years before, the march went on despite the wintry weather. Undaunted by the blustery wind and the freshly fallen snow, dozens of people took to the streets to sing and march. Led by Pastor Kennedy Hampton (at left in picture), the sounds of “We Shall Overcome” echoed through the neighborhood and drew curious onlookers out of the businesses on State Street.

Taking place less than a week away from the inauguration of the first African-American president, the Love March had a historically momentous subtext. Several marchers held pictures of Dr. King and Barack Obama, drawing the parallel between the work of the former and the achievements of the latter.

Paving The Way

Just after 11 a.m., the marchers were lining up inside Shiloh Church, putting on mittens and scarves to get ready for the cold winds outside. Ella Smith (pictured), a resident of the Dixwell neighborhood, was zipping up her bright orange down coat.

“Each year is important,” Smith said, picking up her laminated poster of Dr. King, “but this is the highlight of all the years before.”

Smith, who has missed only two Love Marches in the 39-year history of the event, is a native of South Carolina. She remembers the racial inequality of her childhood, “sitting on the back of the bus and all that.” Smith said that the inauguration of Obama gave this year’s Love March a special significance.

“It makes it more exciting… to think of all the people that paved the way,” Smith said. “How would they feel to see this?”

With a police escort, the march moved slowly down Lawrence Street to Whitney Avenue. Kathy Bridges (pictured), visiting from Hamden for the march, carried a double portrait of King and Obama. She made it plain: “I feel that Martin Luther King paved the way for Obama to be president.”

Not far away, Dixwell resident Frank Thompson, was carrying a sign that read, “We are marching up freedom highway.” He said that he had high hopes for Obama’s presidency, but that “I don’t expect him to do everything overnight. King didn’t. Give him time. We’ll keep on marching.”

Sing!

Marching in patent leather shoes through the slushy streets, 11 year old Donijah Collier was in good spirits.

“I feel nice,” he said. “I’m gonna go see Obama.”

Donijah has been singing since he was 2 years old. “My mom says my first song was ‘Happy Birthday,’” he said. Now he’s a member of five choirs and a theater troupe, and he just joined another singing group, the Ray Chew Boys’ Choir of Harlem. Donijah was recently selected to join the choir, which will be singing at several inauguration events on Tuesday, including two inaugural balls and a prayer breakfast. The group will be singing two songs, “Ki Va Moed” and “Brothers and Sisters.”

Donijah’s music teacher at Nathan Hale, Ellen Maust, was bursting with praise for her student’s vocal abilities. “I wish I could take credit for it,” she said, “but he’s worked really hard. It’s just his gift.”

Donijah had a chance to share his gift when the Love March completed its loop through East Rock and gathered again in the Shiloh Baptist Church, which was already bursting with gospel music, before everyone had even taken off their jackets. Parishioners clapped and sang along during the program of music and reflections, emceed by former State Rep. Bill Dyson.

When the Nathan Hale chorus took the microphone, Maust led them in a medley of spiritual songs and history lessons set to music, with verses about Rosa Parks, Thurgood Marshall, Linda Brown, and Martin Luther King.

Pretty soon the church organist had joined in, someone had jumped on the drum kit, and the whole church was clapping along. Then Donijah took the foam-covered mic and let loose a heart-wrenching solo during “If My Brother’s In Trouble (So Am I).”

“Go ahead now!” someone shouted.

“Sing!” shouted someone else.

The children sang, “What can one person do to help this world around? One can help another one and together we’ll get the job done.”