close

Stevens speaks at MLK Jr. celebration hosted by NAACP Washington

By Karen Mansfield 3 min read
1 / 2
East Washington Mayor Demond Nixon speaks at the Martin Luther King Jr. event hosted by the NAACP Washington.
2 / 2
The NAACP Washington hosted a Martin Luther King Jr. celebration on Sunday at Friendship Baptist Church in Washington. Tim Stevens, founder of Black Political Empowerment Project and former president of the Pittsburgh branch of the NAACP, served as keynote speaker.

As a student at the University of Pittsburgh in the 1960s, Tim Stevens was among a group of students who drove Martin Luther King Jr. from Pittsburgh Airport to the Pitt campus, where the civil rights leader was scheduled to speak.

On Sunday, more than a half-century later, Stevens – who served as president of the Pittsburgh branch of the NAACP for a decade in the 1990s and founded the Black Political Empowerment Project (BPEP) – delivered the keynote address Sunday at the NAACP Washington’s Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration at Friendship Baptist Church in Washington.

Stevens, who spoke on the theme, “The Dream Continues,” said it was fitting that the event, postponed in January due to inclement weather, was held during Black History Month.

As Stevens celebrated the accomplishments of King, he emphasized embracing lessons from the fallen civil rights leader and fighting against policies of President Donald J. Trump and his administration that he said go against King’s legacy and negatively impact Black Americans and other marginalized communities.

“The future of our nation is truly at stake, and that future starts with us,” said Stevens, who said it “is up to all of us” to continue to fight for the mission of the NAACP to ensure political, educational, social and economic equality and rights for everyone.

“The dream must continue, and it starts with each and every one of us,” said Stevens.

He cautioned about the president’s outlook about diversity, equity and inclusion, and immigration, and other policies that he said present a host of challenges for Black communities and other groups.

“With what has been happening in recent years and continues to happen in our commonwealth of Pennsylvania and throughout our great nation … we must have a clarion call for all of us to commit to not go to sleep, even if we’re tired, frustrated, angry, even afraid. We must have a never ending and undeniable dedication to the concept of keeping the dreams of our forefathers alive,” he said.

Stevens also talked about BPEP’s CEIR Playbook, which provides guidelines for diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace. The playbook has been adopted by the Pittsburgh Pirates, Penguins and Steelers, and is being introduced to the NFL and other organizations.

He also spoke about the importance of voting, another issue that BPEP advocates.

The MLK Jr. celebration also featured other speakers, including Washington Mayor JoJo Burgess and East Washington Mayor Demond Nixon, the first Black mayors elected to their municipalities.

Nixon referenced King’s 1963 speech that included the phrase “out of despair, a stone of hope.”

“Our communities have made the decision that we’re ready to do things differently and that we’re ready for some change, and we’re ready for some inclusion here,” he said. “We’ve come so far since that 1963 speech, but I’m amazed at how far we still have to go,” he said. “We’re not just standing by and waiting for someone to step in and do it for us. It’s not 1963 anymore, it’s 2025, and it’s our turn now to make the changes and take the steps forward.”

Also during the event, readers read excerpts from King’s speeches and the music group Men of Friendship performed.

CUSTOMER LOGIN

If you have an account and are registered for online access, sign in with your email address and password below.

NEW CUSTOMERS/UNREGISTERED ACCOUNTS

Never been a subscriber and want to subscribe, click the Subscribe button below.

Starting at $3.75/week.

Subscribe Today