By Tom McClimon
January 31, 2005

Declaring that mayors continue to fight the injustices that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. fought for, Conference President Akron Mayor Donald L. Plusquellic opened the luncheon honoring Dr. Martin Luther King. Held on the federal holiday honoring Dr. King, January 17, the mayors gathered at their opening luncheon to honor the work of this legendary civil rights and peace leader.

Akron's "Coming Together" program which promotes dialogue between racial groups is one example of how Akron has advanced the cause of Dr. King stated Plusquellic. "We must continue to focus on the issues Dr. King fought for-jobs, housing, quality schools and health care for all in need," he said.

On a day which honors one of this nation's greatest peacemakers, it was fitting that the mayors heard from Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba. Mayor of the city which has suffered the greatest impact of an atomic bomb and leader of the Mayors for Peace movement, Akiba urged his American colleagues to support the Mayors for Peace efforts to promote nuclear disarmament. He thanked the Conference for its passage of a resolution at the 2004 Annual Meeting which called upon the President to work towards nuclear disarmament. Passage of this resolution sent a "clear message" to the world that it is time to rid the world of nuclear weapons. He urged the Conference to join with mayors from around the world and send a delegation to the 2005 Nuclear Proliferation Review Meetings at the United Nations.

Cedar Rapids Mayor Paul Pate gave examples of how his city has honored Dr. King through the establishment of an African American Historical Museum and Cultural Center that serves all of Iowa. The mayor shared his thoughts on how the public and private sectors worked together to honor Dr. King. In addition to the Cultural Center, the city has renamed a bridge which transects many neighborhoods for Dr. King, has established a Dr. King Plaza, and commissioned a new piece of sculpture called the "Trumpet" which reminds all of Dr. King's fight for justice, peace and opportunity.

The luncheon's keynote address was delivered by Marc Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League. As a former mayor of New Orleans and Conference Past President, Morial urged the mayors on the occasion of Dr. King's birthday to become "thermostats" of public policy who transform and regenerate public opinion, rather than "thermometers" who only record and register public opinion.

"Now is the time for mayors to lead a new movement, a new urbanism" declared Morial. He defined this "new urbanism" as a time to look at old problems differently and to adopt and refine new policy to address old problems. However, he cautioned that programs that have shown to work, like the Community Development Block Grant Program, must be fought for.

"Martin Luther King was more than a speechmaker and a dreamer. He was an organizer, a leader, and man of action. He did what mayors do. He worked to build a better nation and community and he lifted up people in need. On this 76th birthday of Dr. King, mayors must articulate what American public opinion should be. Mayors must lead and unify and become thermostats not thermometers."