Proactive in pursuit of justice

Breakfast guests bow their heads in prayer during Monday's Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer Breakfast at Quinn Chapel AME.
Breakfast guests bow their heads in prayer during Monday's Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer Breakfast at Quinn Chapel AME.

Those attending the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer Breakfast and Founders at Quinn Chapel AME Chapel were challenged to be proactive in their pursuit of justice.

Several elected officials were in attendance. Cole County Sheriff John Wheeler was asked to speak and told the crowd he has had several opportunities throughout his career to work with many of the faith-based and social justice groups in the community and that the cooperation between all these groups is what males this a great community.

"I am the sheriff for everyone and plan to continue the great relations we have," he said.

The Rev. Michelle Scott-Hoffman of Table of Grace Church was the featured speaker and urged the crowd to be bold and not sit back when they see injustice exists.

"Let's make this the country others say we can't be," she said. "It's time to do something when we walk out of church after we hear the sermons calling us to action."

Scott-Huffman said after eight years of a presidential administration that was one of the most "enlightened" in history, the country seems to going back to those who use hate to stay in power.

"But, you know, I've found that the lovers outnumber the haters," she said. "We have to work to form a culture where love is the highest value."

Scott-Huffman said she agrees with the statement that the country still works, even though the government is dysfunctional.

Rod Chapel Jr., president of the Jefferson City branch of the NAACP as well as the statewide organization, said there were too few of them doing too much. He also said they need to do whatever is necessary until leaders from Washington, D.C., to the state Capitol get the message that there still needs to be change.

"The NAACP didn't start with people with silver spoons in their mouth," he said. "We had leaders who gave us a wake-up call to get things done."