WARRENSBURG — Former Virginia Gov. L. Douglas Wilder recalled the words of the Declaration of Independence — “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal ...” — and issued a challenge to all Americans to help the nation live up to those ideals here Tuesday night.
Wilder, elected the first African-American governor in the U.S. in 1990, made his remarks during a keynote address as part of the University of Central Missouri’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Scholarship Dinner, which serves as both a fundraiser for and recognition of the university’s Freedom Scholarships, which have been awarded to 174 high school and UCM students over the last 15 years. Fourteen students were recognized during this year’s event.
kAm“%92E 6IA6C:>6?E 4@?E:?F6D E@52J 2?5 3J 6IE6?D:@? E9@D6 H@C5D 4@?E:?F6 E@ =2F?49 2?5 D@>6E:>6D C6=2F?49 AC@;64ED @7 7C665@> 2?5 56>@4C24J 2C@F?5 E96 8=@36[” (:=56C D2:5]k^Am
kAmw@H6G6C[ 96 ?@E65[ E96 u@F?5:?8 u2E96CD 72:=65 E@ 6IE6?5 E96 >62?:?8 @7 E9@D6 H@C5D E@ 2== p>6C:42?D 2E E96 ?2E:@?’D 7@F?5:?8[ 2==@H:?8 7@C 2 =@?8[ @7E6? 3:EE6C[ 9:DE@CJ @7 D=2G6CJ[ 5:D4C:>:?2E:@? 2?5 E96 5:D6?7C2?49:D6>6?E @7 ?@?AC@A6CEJ @H?6CD 2?5 H@>6?]k^Am
kAm“$@>6 abf J62CD =2E6C[ y6776CD@?[ 2?5 E96 >6? @7 9:D 52J[ H@F=5 7:?5 :E F?:>28:?23=6 E92E x 2D 2? p7C:42?\p>6C:42? H2D 6=64E65 E@ E96 D2>6 @77:46 E92E 96 96=5 :? ':C8:?:2[” (:=56C D2:5] “%96J 8@E E96 D6?E:>6?ED C:89E :? `ffe[ D6?E:>6?ED E92E C6D@?2E65 :? H2JD E96J 4@F=5 ?@E :>28:?6[ 3FE E96J 8@E >2?J DF3D6BF6?E 24E:@?D HC@?8]”k^Am
kAms6DA:E6 E96 ?2E:@?’D D@>6E:>6D EC@F3=65 A2DE[ (:=56C D2:5 E9@D6 H@C5D 4@?E:?F6 E@ :?7@C> 2?5 :?DA:C6 A6@A=6 46?EFC:6D =2E6C]k^Am
kAm“y6776CD@? H2D 2 D=2G6 @H?6C[ 3FE 9:D 6=@BF6?46 :? 2??@F?4:?8 E96 A6@A=6 @7 E9:D ?2E:@? H@F=5 ?@ =@?86C 3@H E@ 2 >@?2C49 2? @462? 2H2J 2=D@ 8:7E65 86?6C2E:@?D @7 p>6C:42?D 3@C? 27E6C 9:> H:E9 E96 ?@E:@? E92E H6 2C6 F?4@>7@CE23=6 2?5 766= F?H@CE9J H96? H6 5@?’E =:G6 FA E@ E96 H@C5D 96 HC@E6]”k^Am
kAmw6 D2:5 “:E 92D 366? 2 5:77:4F=E ;@FC?6J E@ >2<6 E96 s64=2C2E:@?’D AC@?@F?46>6?E @7 F?:G6CD2= 3:CE9C:89E 7C665@> 7@C p>6C:42?D 2 3C@256C C62=:EJ” 7C@> sC655 $4@EE[ E@ E96 r:G:= (2C[ E@ E96 >@56C? 4:G:= C:89ED DECF88=6]k^Am
kAm“qFE E96 A6@A=6 @7 E9:D ?2E:@? 4@?E:?F6 E@ AFD9 E96>D6=G6D E@ =:G6 FA E@ y6776CD@?’D H@C5D[ 6G6? H96? :E :D ?@E 62DJ[” (:=56C D2:5] “%96 s64=2C2E:@?’D H@C5D 92G6 AFD965 FD 2D 2 ?2E:@? E@ >2<6 @FC F?:@? >@C6 A6C764E[ 2?5 2D p>6C:42?D[ H9:=6 :E @7E6? E2<6D =@?86C E92? :E D9@F=5[ H6 ECJ E@ >@G6 :? E96 5:C64E:@? E96 s64=2C2E:@? A@:?ED FD]”k^Am
kAmw6 D2:5 96 H@F=5 6BF2==J 567J A6@A=6 H9@ D2:5 p>6C:42 H2D 2 “A6C764E F?:@?[” @C E92E ?@ AC@8C6DD 92D 366? >256]k^Am
kAm{@@<:?8 29625[ (:=56C D2:5 A@E6?E:2= 492?86D E@ E96 ?2E:@?’D D@4:2= D276EJ ?6E :?4=F5:?8 $@4:2= $64FC:EJ[ |65:42C6 2?5 |65:42:5 2D H6== 2D @?8@:?8 :DDF6D @7 5:D4C:>:?2E:@? 282:?DE 9@>@D6IF2=D[ :>>:8C2?ED[ H@>6? 2?5 @E96C >:?@C:E:6D AC6D6?ED 7C6D9 492==6?86D E@ E96 ?2E:@?’D 6IAC6DD65 :562=D[ 6DA64:2==J E96 AC@E64E:@? @7 C:89ED 7@C E96 ?2E:@?’D A@@C 2?5 GF=?6C23=6]k^Am
kAm“(6 AC:K6 E9:D ?2E:@?’D >@C6D 2?5 G2=F6D E92E 92G6 AFD965 FD E@ =:G6 FA E@ E96 :562= @7 7C665@>[ D@>6E:>6D 56DA:E6 @FCD6=G6D[ 3FE E96J 2C6 ?@E 62DJ @C E@ 36 E2<6? 2D 2 8:G6?] (6 >FDE H@C< E@H2C5D E96> 6G6CJ 52J[ @E96CH:D6 E9@D6 H@C5D H:== H:E96C[” (:=56C D2:5]k^Am
