NAACP Promotes Unity During MLK Celebration

The Cookeville-Putnam County NAACP Chapter called on members to embrace unity and community during their Martin Luther King Jr. celebration Sunday.

Chapter President Tom Savage said the organization looks to continue growing and providing for those in the Upper Cumberland.

“We want to make sure that the people in our community and surrounding counties that the NAACP is an ally and not an adversary,” Savage said. “We’re looking to build coalitions to promote social justice and have a presence in all of the counties here.”

Savage said staying active within the communities and growing the NAACP’s presence will be beneficial for both the organization and residents of the Upper Cumberland.

“When you have members [and] when you grow your membership, it turns into a political group that focuses that addresses the needs of the people in the community,” Savage said. “And with that, when you have a large contingent of members, that’s a voice. With that voice, it’s power, so we can address the needs of those in our community.”

State Senator Brenda Gilmore of Goodlettsville spoke during the event. She encouraged attendees to continue pushing for equality and justice like advocates and ancestors of past generations.

“As long as we persevere in our efforts, each day can bring us closer to the freedom and dignity of all people,” Gilmore said. “We’ve heard the saying that the arch of the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice. But maybe there isn’t just one arc. Maybe there are many arcs in our moral universe.”

The event took place at the Putnam County Courthouse in downtown Cookeville. The Cookeville-Putnam County NAACP recognized Gilmore for her efforts across the state as both a member of the organization and as a state lawmaker.