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Columbus launches inaugural MLK Honors, names Ben Espy as first honoree at Lincoln Theatre program
Summary
The City of Columbus Department of Neighborhoods on Jan. 20 launched the MLK Honors at the Lincoln Theatre, recognizing Sen. Ben Espy as the inaugural honoree and featuring youth oratorical winners and a keynote urging action on equity and housing.
The City of Columbus Department of Neighborhoods, joined by the mayor’s office and Columbus City Council members, launched the inaugural MLK Honors at a Jan. 20 program at the Lincoln Theatre and presented Sen. Ben Espy as the event’s first honoree.
City officials used the program — which included music, the Department’s 25th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Oratorical Contest and a keynote address — to call for continued civic engagement on racial and economic equity. “The theme today is honoring the legacy, uniting for the future,” said Tracy Townsend, emcee and WBNS Channel 10 anchor, introducing the evening’s program.
Deputy Chief of Staff Craig Conley, representing Mayor Andrew Ginther’s office, framed King’s legacy as a model of movement-building, telling attendees that King moved people “from harmony to unity to productivity to fulfillment.” Kim Douglas, director of the Department of Neighborhoods, said the oratorical contest helps prepare students for “public service and social justice and activism,” and announced the department will seek community partners to expand opportunities for students.
The program recognized two student finalists from the senior division: Kevion Hill, identified as a ninth grader at Columbus Alternative High School and the contest’s senior division runner-up; and the senior division winner introduced as Taylor Hurt, an 11th grader at Reynoldsburg High School. Both performed original speeches as part of the contest.
The evening closed with a keynote from Pastor Michael A. Young, who urged the audience to translate remembrance into action. “He’s still speaking to us,” Young said repeatedly, adding that King’s work toward dignity must extend to economic equity and housing: “When we live in the wealthiest nation in the world, and still yet I can drive down High Street when it’s 10 degrees outside, and there are still homeless people laying in those doorsteps. It is time for Doctor King to speak through us.”
During remarks, Council member Nicholas J. Bankston emphasized progress as a continuing project: “Progress is a journey, not a destination,” he said, urging listeners to “strengthen our resolve.” Council member Nancy Day Ochower, identified as chair of the Neighborhoods, Recreation and Parks Committee, offered brief remarks blending pastoral reflection and civic duty.
Organizers said the MLK Honors will celebrate individuals who “exemplify the life, legacy and values of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through service, leadership and a commitment to excellence.” Sen. Ben Espy — who served on Columbus City Council and in the Ohio Senate and who organizers said helped create the city’s MLK Day march and other local programs — was named the program’s first honoree; the announcement included biographical remarks from event organizers and a student tribute.
The program included multiple musical performances, including the OSU African American Voices gospel choir and instrumental soloist Eddie Baird. The event concluded with a benediction from Reverend Mornay E. Meyer.
City officials and program organizers framed the night as both a commemoration and a call for concrete civic action, with repeated references to housing, economic equity and civic participation. No formal city legislation or votes were announced at the program.
