The Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Fund History started in 1986 supporting minority youth at Iowa Institutions of Higher Learning. The Scholarship originated from the National Conference of Christians and Jews, Iowa Region’s efforts to celebrate the first Holiday named for a private American citizen, Martin Luther King, Junior. Having the vision in July of 1985, the Regions’ Director, Rudy Simms, organized a Holiday Planning Committee that established a series of workshops and educational programs for youth and adults on civil rights, peace and justice in honor of the late Martin Luther King, Jr. and in celebration of his birthday, January 15 annually. The Scholarship fund was supplemented by the revenues raised by the NCCJ during the King Holiday Activities. The King Holiday activities were planned and organized by a broad committee of Des Moines area residents who were committed to making a difference and promoting peace and justice issues.

 

The very first effort to organize a fundraiser for the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Fund, Inc. was at the home of Catharine and Richard Williams. It was co-hosted by the Williams’ and the late Marvin A. Pomerantz and his wife Rose Lee. Together over $5,000.00 was raised to kick off the Scholarship that first year in 1986. Newly re-elected, Gov. Terry E. Branstad promoted the scholarship fund by doing a PSA at the KCCI-TV 8 studios. The original Board members were: Rudy Simms, President, Dick Murphy, Treasurer, Rev. Jim Ryan, Secretary, Rev. Carlos Jayne, Willie Robinson, Mikel Johnson. In subsequent years a Fund Raising Reception was held prior a dinner with notable speakers. Congressman Ronald V. Dellums (Dem-CA) who spoke in 1986 was followed by such other notables as Eleanor Holmes Norton, Mary Francis Berry, Shirley Chisholm, Dorothy Cotton, Mary Louise Smith, James Melvin Washington, Wallace Terry, Julius Lester and many more. The following is a list of the types of activities organized by those Committees and Sub-committees: A Youth Forum on Civil Rights, an Adult Forum on Civil Rights and World Peace. Youth Contests with Civil Rights Themes in the areas of Poetry, Rap, Art and Essay for grades 5-12, an Interfaith Service held at First Christian Church. An annual Community Celebration at Union Missionary Baptist Church. Most of the Planning Committees’ activities took place at Drake University. Finally, a banquet was organized in recognition of King’s Birthday with proceeds from the banquet and Holiday Committee’s events going to the Scholarship Fund.

 

These activities were the highlight of the King Celebration Annually and other community organizations and religious groups began to organize celebrations in conjunction with the new Holiday. The Planning Committee took on the task of listing those community activities for the Holiday period in an ad book that they distributed at the banquet. This Planning Committee coordinated and promoted those activities annually from 1986 to 2004 producing a program/advertising book each year. Proceeds fed the Scholarship Fund. Twenty-five years later the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship continues to sponsor Iowa high school graduating seniors to Iowa institutions of higher learning. Over 90 students to date have been supported throughout their four year education on an annual basis by the King Scholarship Fund. A few of these students would not have qualified for scholarships under academically qualified programs. Many may not have been able to afford the expense to attend an Iowa Institution of higher learning for their education. We are proud today to know that we have contributed to the success of minority students who otherwise, may not have had an opportunity to complete or even start an education beyond high school.

 

We take the time to celebrate all the institutions that award minority scholarships. Institutions that understand the importance of breaking the barriers to higher education for too many youth who were caught or could have been caught in a cycle of poverty and injustice. Institutions who have had the strength and courage to address and direct opportunity to the least of those in our midst who time after time show their merit and success as they graduate and take on positive roles in society. That is what the Minority Scholarships have and continue to contribute towards. For this we are all better off and grateful for making this State a place that is not just a field of dreams but a place to grow.