Civil rights pioneer to visit city to give keynote address for MLK event
By Rochelle Moore
Published in News on January 15, 2017 1:45 AM
Full SizeA civil rights pioneer engaged in the struggle for equality since the early 1970s will visit Goldsboro Monday for the 29th annual celebration of the life and legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
The Rev. Kojo Nantambu, director of the Religious Emphasis Advocacy Project of the North Carolina NAACP State Conference, will be the keynote speaker at the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday luncheon. The ticketed event will start at noon at the Goldsboro-Raleigh District Assembly, Church of Christ, Disciples of Christ International headquarters at 211 W. Hooks River Road.
Nantambu, a native of Wilmington, was one of several African-American students bused to white suburban schools during a tumultuous time of desegregation that was matched with hostility and resentment.
He lived through the well-known Wilmington Ten era, in 1971, which led to four days of violence in the city and required National Guard intervention to restore peace.
Always driven by a desire to help others, Nantambu became a leader during that time, which began with a sit-in response to the school board's prohibition of a memorial service on Martin Luther King. Jr.'s birthday.
Nantambu, originally named Roderick Kirby, changed his name in 1972. He became a community and civil rights activist while in high school and ran but lost in a tight race for mayor in Wilmington at the age of 23.
He founded the Black Youth Builders of the Black Community, which sought to mentor, tutor and prepare young men for leadership.
Nantambu moved to Charlotte and served as the pastor of Green Oak Missionary Baptist Church. Through the years, he worked in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School system as a family advocate and was involved in community organizations, including the NAACP, Save the Seed and Citizens for Justice, which he co-founded. In 1995, he coordinated the Charlotte Million Man March, in Washington, D.C., which included the participation of 3,400 men.
He is the former president of the NAACP Charlotte Branch and was named 2013 President of the Year by the state NAACP.
The past four years has included his post as director of the state NAACP Religious Emphasis Advocacy Project, which involves coordinating all statewide faith-based activities.
The annual observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Goldsboro will focus on this year's theme, "There is but One Race, and that is The Human Race," based on King's message.
The event includes a performance by the Eastern Wayne High School Vocal Ensemble and presentations by Mayor Chuck Allen and Wayne County Commissioner Ed Cromartie.
Tickets will still be available at the door for $15 on Monday.
The annual event in Goldsboro typically draws several hundred people and has included guest speakers who have focused on the history and message of King and the struggle for equality.
In 2016, the Rev. Dr. Carolyn McKinstry shared her experiences of growing up in Birmingham, Ala. The 2015 speaker was retired Wayne County educator Patsy Faison, who talked about unity and making a difference in the community.
The event is being coordinated by the Goldsboro Community Relations office and the Martin Luther King Jr. Committee.