People from throughout the St. Clair County community joined together in “Promoting Unity and Community Awareness” at the 11th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Unity Breakfast held in Pell City on Jan. 15.  

“To our pastor and all of your patrons, thank you for your support to aid students with college endeavors,” one of the speakers, Rebecca Bothwell said. “The dream is very much alive.” 

The Unity Breakfast raises funds for the O.W/Beatrice Green and Tobe Williams College Scholarships. Two students, Tyler Nixon and Ethan Davis, were recipients of the scholarship in 2017 and were recognized at the breakfast.  

 “It is important to lead by example…you are the hope, you are the example,” Pell City Mayor Bill Pruitt greeted the crowd. “We have a loving, gracious, and embracing community.”   

Pastor Donald Gover introduced the keynote speaker, Alabama House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels, who was named Alabama State Legislator of the Year for 2015 in the House Democratic Caucus.  The Democratic House elected Daniels to the position of Alabama House Minority Leader during his first term in office, making him the youngest and first African-American to hold the position.  

Daniels represents the 53rd District in Madison County, including Huntsville. He graduated from A & M University with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in special education. Daniels said he decided to major in elementary education because he felt that was the way to give back to his community.   

After graduation, he became Chairman of the National Education Association of Student Programming at age of 23 and had the opportunity to work with the George Bush administration on the College Cost Reduction Act. He taught third, fourth, and fifth grades at various schools, including an Indian Reservation in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He also owns two small businesses with his wife, Dr. Teneshia Daniels.   

“I knew I was making a difference in the lives of those young people that saw a young teacher with fresh ideas and energy who they aspired to be like,” Daniels said. “But I know that I knew that I could only impact a small number of young people through a lifetime, but as a policy maker, I could impact thousands or even millions and that’s why I decided to go into politics.” 

In the impassioned speech given to the crowd, Daniels emphasized the importance of having a vision, a vision his grandparents passed on to him of progression and prosperity, of the importance of education, and sharing that vision with others.  

“Dr. Martin Luther King’s ‘I have a dream’ speech was a vision of the nation. What dreams will be our dreams?” Daniels asked. “What will we tell the young people that are coming behind us, our kids and grandkids, what did we do to pave the way and open the doors of opportunity wider than they were before we got here? So as we think about and remember the sacrifice and struggle of those who came before, it’s about collective responsibility and collective sacrifice. That is what makes the lives of children and grandchildren of sharecroppers more than a footnote in history, but a footprint on the world.” 

“It is up to us to make those dreams come true,” Daniels continued. “It is up to us to continue the dream and keep that dream alive for Dr. Martin Luther King and those that came before us.”