FORT GORDON, Ga. (Jan. 20, 2017) -- Fort Gordon and the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence paid tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a command program Jan. 12 at Alexander Hall.
Command Sgt. Maj. Sheldon Moorer, 15th Regimental Signal Brigade command sergeant major, said this year's theme, "A day on, not a day off," was inspired by King's words and actions. King, an activist, minister, and advocate of peace.
"Dr. King said, 'we can't wait for all the world to get better. We have to do it ourselves; not tomorrow, but today. Not later, but now,'" Moorer said.
The program opened with the Fort Gordon Youth Challenge Academy choir, which performed a collection of folk songs honoring King. Following the performance and introductions, the audience turned their eyes and ears to the podium where Rev. Stephon Ferguson, guest speaker, captured the audience.
Ferguson, an ordained minister and speaker, addressed the audience saying it was an honor and privilege to stand before them "in the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr." The words that followed were familiar to most, if not all, in attendance. For the next 15-plus minutes, Ferguson recited King's speech, "I Have a Dream." He recited the speech with great poise, without any written reference, and in a tone that was nearly identical to King himself. The performance left many in awe, as they traveled back in time to 1963 without actually leaving the auditorium.
Impressed by Ferguson's performance, Col. Daniel Ruder, 15th Regt. Signal Bde. commander, said Ferguson did far more than recreate the voice of King.
"You've created and captured the spirit and the essence of his words," Ruder said. "I think we can literally transport ourselves back in time to the Lincoln Memorial."
When he's not traveling or delivering speeches, Ferguson works with the National MLK Historic Site in Atlanta, at Ebenezer Baptist Church, King's home church, educating people on the life and history of King. He views his ability and passion for recreating King's words as "a gift from God," that he uses for the greater good.
Ferguson's interest in King sparked during his time as a young DJ who would spin his parent's records of King, often times emulating his voice. His friend heard Ferguson one day and suggested he take it to another level by practicing his speeches.
"He (said), 'if you can sound like that, and most people were not here when (King) was living, that would be a blessing to people,'" Ferguson said.
His passion grew from there.
Through his studies and work over the years, Ferguson learned many things about King. What stands out most to him is that despite his notoriety, King was an "ordinary" man.
"He was a huge figure, he was a great man, but he wasn't any different from us," Ferguson said. "He just had a passion for people, and he used that passion."
He also passes on little known facts about King that the majority of people he talks to don't know. Among those things are the manners in which his mother and brother died; his mother by assassination inside the church, and his brother by drowning 15 months after King was assassinated.
"There are so many things that were going on during that period of time, and … I've just learned so much," Ferguson said.
"I hope that people really listened and heard the entire speech, and that it will be some form of motivation, inspiration to them to continue the legacy of Dr. King's works."
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