Following In King’s Footsteps

Story By Natalie Salvatore Photos By Robert Noles And Contributed By The Dream Day Foundation

Martin Luther King Jr "Lift Every Voice” event 2021.

The Dream Day Foundation embodies the dreams of children, and helping them reach their goals. “This foundation was established for the people and with the people,” said Marion Sankey, founder and executive director of the Dream Day Foundation.

Using Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision as inspiration, this non-profit organization was founded in 2009, embodying the motto, “Inspiring Our Youth of Today to Become Dream Achievers of Tomorrow.”

In her role, Sankey strives to carry out Dream Day’s mission with integrity as she oversees the foundation’s everyday functions. She is honored by the foundation’s Advisory Board members’ contributions to Dream Day’s success.

“The foundation was created as an avenue to encourage youth, especially youth of color, to seek and carry out their dreams,” Sankey said. “We strive to be a beacon of light in the Lee County community and surrounding areas, with a purpose of cultivating the next generation of innovators, leaders and change-makers through arts and service.”

The program centers around the community’s young citizens to guide them as they embark on their future endeavors and grow into adulthood, with a focus on talent, scholarship, service and cultural awareness. The organization is looking to alter this youth-focused motto to include the entire community. “We realize that there is so much to be done and including everyone to benefit from the organization is important to us and the community,” she said.

In 2000, Sankey and others began an event to honor King and showcase the young citizens as well. Held at Greater Peace Missionary Baptist Church on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, this celebratory event hosted a large crowd with its firstever theme, “Lighting the Path for the New Millennium.”

She said each year, with the growing participation of youth and community members in the event, the organization intentionally and mindfully chooses a new theme to coincide with that year’s celebration. In 2009, Dream Day moved the event to Opelika High School.

“This event allows our young people to remember the struggles that many went through for them to be where they are today,” Sankey said. “It reminds them of the blood, sweat and tears that King and other civil rights leaders endured just to move to the front of the bus.”

Hence, Sankey strives for young citizens to honor the past while celebrating the future through this program.

“I remember listening very early to a speech that King gave at DePaw University in 1960, where he said, ‘God is interested in the freedom of the whole human race and the creation of a society where all men will live together as brothers, and all men will respect the dignity and the worth of all human personality,’” she said. “This speech still resonates with me today, as we are still hopeful that this event is helping people to honor these words of King.”

Along with this annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration, the organization also created and hosts an annual summit for Black boys in fifth grade through college.

“We are proud of creating the first and only Black Male Summit in Lee County in June 2018,” Sankey said. “It was designed to address critical issues that these young men face, such as ethics, decision-making, mental and physical health, relationships, self-esteem, cooperation, conflict and many more.” The summit hosts different keynote speakers that deliver motivational messages, like world-renown speakers and professional football players, as well as hosts small breakout sessions for topic discussions and question-and-answer sessions for parents.

“The goal is for these young men to come away with a greater sense of purpose, of accountability and with dreams of what their futures hold for them as responsible adult men,” Sankey said. “It has been very beneficial in giving these young men, especially those that have been identified as highly at-risk, the tools they need to navigate successfully in their home, school and other environments.”

The foundation also serves the community through providing scholarships and Dream Acts. Lee County citizens, as well as the foundation’s sponsors and partners, generously donate to make dreams become realities. The acts help anyone from families affected by disasters or medical expenses to students wishing to attend further schooling. The

first Dream Act helped a family who had been displaced from Hurricane Katrina return to their home in New Orleans and reunite with family and friends they had left behind.

One of the foundation’s long-term members, Mikayla Jackson, has been a part of Dream Day her entire life. She received a scholarship from the foundation and said she appreciates the organization’s example of excellence it shows for children as they recognize citizens that came before them who have made an impactful difference.

“Every year, I learn something new about my history as I am pushed to become the best version of myself and always strive for, and exemplify, greatness,” Jackson said. “The foundation has taught me how important it is to stand up for what is right, whatever the cause may be.” Another individual tremendously impacted by the foundation is Steven Harvey, who sings with the foundation. Harvey said he is proud to sing in the MLK event each year as they honor the freedom and equality in today’s world, thanks to King.

“My role has had a significant impact on me because I believe my voice and talent have an impact on the lives of people who are passionate about King,” he said. “It means a lot to me to honor different people within this program, not only because they have done so much to make this a successful one, but also because some have either witnessed or been a part of such tragedy.” In yet another avenue, this nonprofit honors its community by selecting members to be recognized as Dream Achievers.

“The Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. Dream Achiever Award was established in 2004 honoring an outstanding community servant or group that has exemplified the character, dedication and goals of King during their lifelong work and commitment to the Lee County community,” Sankey said. Over the years, there have been many Dream Achievers selected from its large pool of candidates, including the Rev. Clifford Jones, former Mayor Barbara Patton, the late former Councilman Clarence Harris Jr., Representative Jeremy Gray, the late Auburn resident, George Echols, Jane Walker and more.

Last year, the annual celebration occurred virtually for the first time due to COVID-19. Its “URMYHERO” event was filmed via YouTube and released on Martin Luther King Jr. Day as planned.

Despite fewer participants involved, the virtual platform offered a positive advantage in that more than 2,500 people had a chance to “attend” the event.

“In speaking with the young men, they have expressed how beneficial it is to them, as they appreciate the information they are given and how they have been able to apply it to their everyday lives,” she said. “We are very fortunate to have the community offer a lot of support in sponsorship and volunteering in whatever areas are needed.” Another positive that came from the pandemic was the start of the initiative “Planted Together.” This project created a safe environment of serenity and peace for local seniors who were isolated because of quarantining and social distancing restrictions. Local churches, businesses and organizations came together to help sponsor and deliver over 300 plants to porches of senior communities in the AuburnOpelika area. McDonald’s of Auburn,

Marion Sankey Opelika, Tuskegee and Shorter was the largest contributor for the Planted Together Project, together along with Kroger, Harris Funeral Home and the Opelika City Council.

The initiative not only gave seniors a safe way to interact with each other while caring for their plants, but it also provided a service opportunity for the youth to give back to the elderly while learning of the importance of caring for their needs.

In its activities, Dream Day prepares the youth of AuburnOpelika to be leaders in their future lives.

“When our young people are successful or win, then the entire community benefits and wins,” Sankey said. “The citizens of Lee County have benefited from this organization, as we are intentional about serving all races of people in many of the activities and events we have offered in the past

and will continue to offer.” Sankey believes that participants who became doctors, attorneys, educators, business owners and more in their adult lives owe part of their successes to their involvement with Dream Day. “I am impacted the most when I see the lives of young people changing in so many positive ways,” Sankey said. “As our young people grow and mature, they are giving back to the community with many now whose own children are participating in some of the same events that they did.”

Sankey also said that many of the volunteers who started out with Dream Day are still involved today, such as Larry Sankey, Thomas Sherfield and more. Dream Day will soon reach its 25th year of the King Celebration as the community continues to show its love for this organization’s involvement in Lee County. “We look forward to continuing to serve the Lee County community with the purpose in helping to make this the best community to live in,” she said.

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