By Jheri Hardaway
Staff Writer
Reverend John A. McKoy is working to strengthen the bridge between history and the next generation. In a room filled with the energy of both the elders who paved the way and the youth who carry the future, one voice stood out at the Dunn, NC, Martin Luther King Jr birthday celebration, a voice that echoes with 78 years of wisdom, 62 years of activism, and the unshakeable resolve of a Vietnam veteran.
Our featured citizen shared a harrowing yet triumphant journey through the history of Dunn, North Carolina, reminding us that the freedoms we enjoy today were bought with incredible discipline and faith. Reflecting on a life of "good living," Reverend John spoke candidly about the importance of self-respect. From quitting smoking and drinking cold turkey to never touching illegal drugs, he serves as a living testament to the power of the mind. "Don't tell me that you can't do it," he told the crowd. "You can do it." His message to the young men of the community was clear: interest must be shifted away from the streets and back toward participation and progress.
Reverend John recounted the days of the Dunn Chapel Free Will Baptist Church being the hub of the movement under Reverend Dr. Felder, the only local pastor at the time with the courage to lead the civil rights charge openly.
The stories shared were a sobering reminder of the cost of equality, mentioning that demonstrators were once locked in a jail cell while fire engines were cranked below, filling the space with choking exhaust fumes. Despite being punched, spat upon, and called racial slurs during boycotts at local grocery stores and bakeries, Rev John stayed committed to nonviolence. "I remembered what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. told us to do. He told us to be non-violent."
He credited local mentors like Mr. C.C. Ray, who taught him to be a gentleman, and Mr. Graham Henry, a businessman who showed kindness and fairness when "times were tough." Sixty-two years ago, he was one of 58 residents who boarded a bus from Dunn to Washington, D.C. He stood among the 250,000 people who heard Dr. King declare, "I have a dream." He noted a striking comparison to modern times: despite the massive crowd in 1963, there was not a single arrest, no violence, and no chaos—only a unified, disciplined demand for justice.
"We carried the ball up to this point. Somebody has got to relieve us. You all have to get active." As he looked out at the young people in the audience, Reverend John didn't just see a crowd; he saw the next leg of the relay. His call to action for the youth of Dunn is simple but profound: stay in school, stay out of trouble, join organizations like the NAACP, and never forget that you are a part of history. His final words to us, Romans 12:18 — "If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men."
