Our Co-Founder: In Memory of Reverend Troy F. Harrison

From Martin Luther King Day Address
January 2009 | First Baptist Church

There’s a struggle going on
yet dreams
never die.
It is in the midst of struggle
that dreams become a reality
It is in the midst of struggle
that dreams take on new meaning and
provide new hope for those who are oppressed and struggling

Dreams never die.

But not just in our nation do we experience injustice, corruption,
but even in our own community.

There’s a struggle going on.

And what we have to come together as a community and understand is that

Chapel Hill is — is not just
the historic district
Chapel Hill is not just
the elitist district
but Chapel Hill is composed of Ridgefield
and Rogers Road
and Northside.

And decisions and policies that we make,

ought to embrace dreams.
Dreams of a better place
— and a better time
— and a better situation
for all of Chapel Hill.And the dream is embodied in each of you who are under the sound of my voice.
. . .
It is important that we come together
as a community
To speak out and to continue to cry loud and spare not,
be the voice of crying out in the wildreness for righteousness
and justice,
in the face of injustice
when there is environmental injustice in our community,
I say to you
don’t let the dream die . . .
Like Doctor King, I too have a dream.My dream is embedded in the vision
that God has for his world,
that the faith community
would be his — his kingdom building agency
that will eliminate injustices
that would kill racism
that would stop economic
corruption
in this country.
I have a dream.
I have a dream that people will still be judged by the content of their character
and not the color of their skin.
Because let’s think about it as we think about gentrification
and this — this progression of sustainabilitySustainability as defined by who?What has sustained this community

is the cohesiveness of brothers and sisters working together
What has sustained this community

is churches working together and lifting the voices of the angels

and the archangels

What has sustained this community
has not been brick and mortarWhat has sustained this community

has not been an influx of greed,

What has sustained this community has been faith.Faith in a God that never fails —
Faith in a God who will always see his people through —
Faith in a God who will always stand by the oppressed
And the downtroddenThat’s what has sustained this community.And I would dare anyone who would challenge me on that definition
of sustainability.But what we need is faith
in a God who is unable — to fail.
What we need is faith
in each other.
And what we need
is love,
love for– all God’s creation.