Dorothy Jones is a retired business professor and has worked to elevate the values ascribed to Martin Luther King, Jr. She’s in charge of the local foundation that bears his name.
“I started in 1986 with Governor Sheffield when he organized the state for the Martin Luther King celebration.”
And she has been involved with every celebration or fundraiser held since then. Principally, the Foundation raises money to give away as scholarship to graduating seniors.
“Our application is already at the high schools and kids may go to their counselors, get an application, apply for the scholarship. The deadline for applying is January 31st and should be awarded in February.”
It’s $1,000 that can be used in Alaska or out-of-state. The criteria for the scholarship start with a 2.0 GPA.
”That's not real high. So, everybody who's trying to advance themselves can apply for this. And they'll need an essay of about 250 words, need three letters of recommendation, need to have participated in some kind of extracurricular activities, and must demonstrate in their lives the principles for which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stood.”
In the past, the Foundation has had a big dress-up banquet with an out-of-state speaker that has to be paid for. But between COVID and a lack of volunteers, it has been several years since the Fairbanks Martin Luther King Junior Foundation held any events or did any fundraising.
“So, this year we're trying to do something that is a little bit more low key to what we've done in the past, but still have a celebration that we can be proud of.”
So Jones is coordinating a whole weekend of free events. A community gospel festival will be on Friday, evening, January 12 at Corinthian Baptist Church, 1679 23rd Avenue in Fairbanks. A youth breakfast will be Saturday, January 13 from 10 to noon at the J.P. Jones Center, 24th Avenue and Rickert Street. Jones Center is co-sponsoring. The breakfast will be free for youths, but $10 for adults. And on Sunday afternoon, a presentation about Black history in Alaska with Ed Wesley, at the Pioneer Park Civic Center Theatre. Wesley is a former president of the Anchorage NAACP, and wrote the forward and assisted with the recent book, Black History in the Last Frontier, by Ian Hartman of the University of Alaska Anchorage. Pioneer Park is co-sponsoring the presentation. Westmark Hotel is donating a room for Ed Wesley. Donation from Shannon Fortune of State Farm and NAACP Greater Fairbanks Branch donated cash.
The presentation will include a panel discussion with local Black historians. Jones says all events are open to everyone, and they will accept donations to defray costs.
She knows the group may lose money on the events, but thinks it is worth it to raise public awareness.
“There's so little that's been written about Blacks in Alaska. And there’s a scene that, when we go outside, and people ask, ‘where are you from?’ And you say, ‘Alaska.’ And they'll say, ‘you have blacks in Alaska?’”
Jones is a historian herself; a presentation she made on Black History in Fairbanks has more than 1,100 views on YouTube.
