It’s no easy feat to steal the show from a powerful speaker like social justice advocate and political commentator Angela Rye. But Sean the Science kid pulled it off Monday at the African American Community Services Agency’s 46th annual MLK Day luncheon in San Jose.
Sean Atitsogbe, the 11-year-old science whiz who has nearly 2 million followers on social media, kept the audience of more than 550 people in awe — and often in laughs — as he had a conversation on stage with Kiesha King, the head of U.S. education strategy at T-Mobile.
“Science doesn’t care if your skin is a different color,” Sean said at the event at San Jose State University. “Science can be a way for truth to get out by showing people the deeper meaning of things.”
Sean said that one of the things King stood for is that everyone’s skills are needed in this world. But Sean also said that if he could talk to the civil rights icon today, he would tell him that his generation is poised to be much more politically active than people were in the 1960s thanks to technology.
“You know, with social media and 5-year-olds with iPads, young children are getting to know more about politics and what’s going on in the world,” he said. “And now we have more chances to really watch the news. … We can change more because not only do we have more resources like AI and robots and social media, but we also have more knowledge.”
In other words, look out for Generation Alpha.
“After hearing Sean the Science Kid, I feel like an underachiever,” joked Jennifer Cloyd, CEO of First 5 Santa Clara County, who was on a panel with Santa Clara County Superintendent of Schools David M. Toston Sr., and Leah Austin, president and CEO of the National Black Child Development Institute.
Angela Rye didn’t disappoint with her 20-minute keynote address, which wove the circumstances around Dr. King’s last address in Memphis, the day before he was assassinated, with the current political climate. She decried the erasure of history and the attempt by many to romanticize Dr. King’s words.
“I want to tell you all today, I don’t want you to tell me about his dream when you’re supporting policies that make the reality of far too many a nightmare,” she said. “I don’t want you to tell me about the content of my character when you are profiling, stopping and frisking, setting unaffordable bail, doling out harsh sentences and wrongfully convicting my brothers and sisters.”
The event also recognized this year’s MLK Award honorees. The Larry Itliong Way Project, led by Tiffany Unarce Barry and Noelle Rabago, received the Champion of Change Award. The Gene Young Award was presented to Richard Anderson, who served as executive director of the Santa Clara County Black Firefighters Association for 20 years; Fr. Jon Pedigo, executive director of People Acting in Community Together (PACT) received the Spirit of Service Outstanding Pastoral Award; retired Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Erica Yew was given the Drum Major Award; the Facing the Challenge Award was presented to Marc Philpart, CEO of the California Freedom Fund; and Coleetta McElroy, who recently completed a 37-year career as an administrator at San Jose State, received the Iola M. Williams Lifetime Achievement Award.
Milan Balinton, executive director of the African American Community Services Agency, also was honored with a commendation from San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and most of the San Jose City Council for his 15 years of service to the organization and the city.
“Your leadership has helped ensure that our city is held accountable for moving closer to Dr. King’s vision of justice, dignity and opportunity,” Mahan said in presenting the commendation. “Thank you for your service and this incredible milestone.”
The event was filled with elected officials, including most — if not all — of the San Jose City Council and the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, along with Assemblymembers Ash Kalra, Gail Pellerin and Patrick Ahrens, state Sen. Dave Cortese and U.S. Reps. Sam Liccardo and Zoe Lofgren.
Lofgren said King would be disturbed by what’s going on in Washington, the attempts to erase history from websites and to pull money away from healthcare to provide tax cuts for the wealthy.
“He would be disturbed, but what he wouldn’t do is sit down and give up.”
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