As Tamu Holmes reminded the audience at Monday’s Fredericksburg NAACP Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer Breakfast, while her organization might be strictly non-partisan, “we are political as hell.”
“Today, as we celebrate a national holiday, alongside an inauguration, we found ourselves at a critical juncture,” Holmes, the local chapter’s membership chair told a crowd of nearly 500 people gathered inside the Fredericksburg Convention Center. “I read these words recently: We, the people, are tired of our country being rooted in white supremacy, plagued by economic inequity, and sustained by the silence that enables both.”
She then asked for a show of hands: who in the room had lived through the Civil Rights “challenges” of the 1960s?
“Let’s pray the incoming administration doesn’t catapult us back to the 50s and 60s to point up, aka Project 2025,” she said, referring to a set of policy goals initially published by the Heritage Foundation.
Holmes wasn’t the only speaker at Monday’s event, themed “Injustice anywhere is a threat to Justice everywhere,” who acknowledged the gravity of the present moment while reflecting upon MLK’s legacy.
In her keynote speech, former Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger, who has announced that she will run for Virginia governor this year, drew parallels between the emotions being felt right now with those that were percolating widely in 1967, when King spoke at Riverside Church in New York City.
At the time, the Vietnam War was raging, and hard-earned gains in the Civil Rights movement were being threatened by a national backlash.
“There’s a feeling of uncertainty about where the future path leads us,” Spanberger said. “Some feel anger, some feel sadness, some feel fear. I’m just a little bit numb. But many of us also feel that sense of urgency, a renewed call to action.”
Spanberger emphasized King’s stern warning not to delay in advocating for justice, waiting for a perfect moment.
“And his words ring true today, his ethos rings true today,” Spanberger said. “Whether we are talking about the mission of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference or the mission of the Fredericksburg branch of the NAACP.
“It rings true whether we are talking about ending the Jim Crow laws of the 20th century or ending the voter suppression that has followed into the 21st century. It rings true whether we are talking about the demonstrations in Birmingham or organizing at the local level in communities right here across Virginia… We are not complacent.”
GALLERY: Fredericksburg NAACP Martin Luther King Jr. Player Breakfast
Fredericksburg Mayor Kerry Devine referenced City Council’s 2018 commitment “to tell a more complete story,” a story that includes some uncomfortable chapters, such as the downtown slave block, which was removed from the corner of Charles and William streets in 2019.
“Ridding downtown of that symbol of oppression makes our downtown streets more welcoming for all,” Devine said.
For her part, UMW NCAAP chapter president Jaseigha Barthell admitted that she knew little about the organization or the Civil Rights movement at large when she matriculated.
“As a first-year student, I wanted to be a part of something that felt larger than myself,” she said. “I wanted to find a place where I could connect with others who shared my values and vision for a more just world.”
She found it at UMW, and credited the university’s NAACP chapter with “completely transforming my college experience.”
With UMW president Troy Paino looking on, Barthell capped her remarks by issuing a call to action.
“It takes every person, every single person is willing to listen, to learn, and to actively engage in making UMW a place where diversity, equity, and inclusion are not just a buzzword — but fundamental values we live by every single day,” she said. “We can’t say we’re all in unless everyone is truly included.”
Letitia Bumbrey complemented the various addresses with soulful renditions of “One Night with the King” and “To God be the Glory.” She also co-led an audience sing-along of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” to close out the breakfast. An additional 200-plus people streamed the event on Facebook Live, according to organizers.
At the beginning of her speech, Spanberger alluded to some “show and tell” items, which included a Poverty and Justice Bible gifted to her by her mentor, the late Congressman Donald McEachin.
She recalled how she encountered McEachin, who is Black, packing up his bags as she prepared to give her first speech on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. As Spanberger started to speak, however, she noticed the elder statesman stop gathering his things and settle into his seat.
“I watched this man make time stop as he was there to uplift me,” she said of McEachin. “He empowered others. And when we empower others, we are expanding that network of those who do right and create justice in this world.”
