The Garden Church Host Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Teach-In

Rev. Adam Stevenson’s comments were updated with the beginning of his prepared remarks for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Teach-in at the Garden Church for the sake of clarity and nuance.

Harbor Area faith leaders held a Martin Luther King Jr. teach-in at the Garden Church on Jan. 15, with The Garden Church’s lead pastor, Dr. Amanda Adams Riley, serving as the master of ceremonies. The event featured Rev. Adam Stevenson, pastor of Warren Chapel CME Church, and Rev. James Jones, the CEO of the South Bureau Ministerial Alliance and the founder of Gangsters for Christ. Rev. Jones is known for his work with the Watts Gang Task Force in conducting violence intervention across Watts through mediation, safe passage initiatives, and dialog in the north end of the 15th City Council District. 

The teach-in centered on King’s legacy within the context of his faith and its importance in 2024 in San Pedro and beyond. Below are Rev. Stevenson’s comments:  

Dr. King would argue that our response to suffering and poverty should mirror Christ’s compassion and empathy. He would urge us to view poverty as an issue that demands our attention, regardless of our economic circumstances. Meaning it is not a “them” problem. It is an “us problem. If I may quote Dr. King, In his famous “Letter From Birmingham Jail,” He says, “ Injustice anywhere is a threat to injustice everywhere.” Essentially, what is ignored and isolated to one area will soon spill over into other areas. How do I know this? Even here in our beloved San Pedro, you knew the places in which people experiencing homelessness and less fortunate congregated, yet as we see it, it is now spilling into areas that we once thought were off-limits or reserved for a particular class of people.

Once we overlook certain areas and start putting people in certain pockets and don’t pay attention, then we start to notice … in the last 20 years the number of people who are struggling and the number of people who are homeless is so much that it’s starting to spill over into those safer areas.  

With this in mind, I believe Dr. King would draw our attention to the parable of the Good Samaritan found in the Gospel of Luke. In this story, Jesus shows the importance of showing mercy and compassion toward our needy neighbors. Dr. King would urge us to transcend racial, social and economic barriers.

Demonstrating love and compassion for those experiencing poverty. He would emphasize the need for solidarity and active engagement … seeing poverty not only as an isolated problem but as the shared responsibility of our entire community. 

Very recently, I sat in a setting where there was a report on homelessness that was given. The point of the report was to show the work that is being done on homelessness and how we’re making strides here in Los Angeles and the San Pedro community. Everyone clapped and applauded at all that was being said. But it was no more than maybe 15 minutes later that there were some questions posed to the LAPD and others who were there, one person, a well-to-do person who lives in a better part of town pounded on the table about the street vendors, and those who sell during the night and how she doesn’t want people on our streets and now it’s an issue and a problem. And for me, as I sat there, I was conflicted because, during that same meeting, we were saying in one breath, “We don’t want homelessness.” But this is the only way possible, however uncomely it may be, that these vendors can provide for themselves and their families so that they don’t end up outdoors.

And so I have to ask the question as a longtime resident who serves on all of these different boards. We have all these distinguished titles. Sometimes we’re talking out of both sides of our neck. King would challenge us to address the systemic factors surrounding poverty. He’d remind us of the Prophet Isaiah’s call for justice, stating: learn to do right; seek justice; defend the oppressed; take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. Dr. King would urge us to advocate for policies that dismantle and tear down barriers such as racial and economic discrimination and promote equal access to education, employment, and healthcare. By doing so, we can actively combat poverty right there at the root and create a more just society.

Dr. King would also emphasize the importance of community involvement and collective action. I know that they read off on all these different things that I have the privilege to do in the community because that is what it is about … active engagement. And if I can be honest, I’ve said publicly before … some of the reasons that I show up and I sit on some of these boards … I sit through it because many times when I go into these places, there are only a few people who look like me, and I’m the only one, but I understand community engagement. If it wasn’t for the fact that I keep taking leaps of faith and joining in community, I would not even have the opportunity like today where I can share with you. Traditionally on a day like today, I would be joining my sister churches in Los Angeles to celebrate Dr. King. I serve on that committee, and I’m supposed to be there in Los Angeles, but when Rev. Connie [McOsker] gave me this opportunity, I thought it was very important that I come into this space. If I am going to be in meetings, if I’m going to talk about community, then I need to come and share with all of you today. 

I applaud and I appreciate you for having me and for you even taking the risk to have this teach-in. Dr. King would encourage us to engage in community and support local initiatives and local organizations that assist individuals and communities affected by poverty. By joining hands and pulling our resources, I believe that we can impact the lives of those in need. And so I end with this on what I call … just as I worked on this … “The E’s”. Typically, I try to put some things out there by using the letter “E” as a way for you all to kind of remember if you heard nothing else that I said about what Dr. King called for us to do today. 

No. 1, Economic Equity. In Proverbs 22:22, “Do not exploit the poor because you can, nor crush the needy in court.”

No. 2, Education and Empowerment. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. I can say this. I am committed. I was the kid who was born and raised in the projects on 118 Centre Street. That means I went to Barton Hill Elementary. And so now I serve and I spend time helping with attendance there at the school because I go to Barton Hill some of the things that were there are some of the issues that they faced 30 years ago when I was a troubled kid there. Guess what? They’re still facing those same problems. But at the same time, I can offer my resources and I asked other principals, “Do you need my help?” And they would tell me, “No. We don’t need your help at Point Fermin.” But Barton Hill, the same school that I grew up in still needs help all these years later. So we need to do more with education and empowerment.

No. 3 Community Engagement. In scripture, Galatians 6:10, “Therefore as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people.”

Lastly, Political Engagement. Which is very new to me. But I’m kind of getting used to it. Scripture teaches us in Proverbs to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves for the rights of all who are destitute. 

And so I close by saying some of the things I believe Dr. King would still ask us to do here in 2024. Yes. We have made progress. Yes. We have come further than we were all these years ago, even though Dr. King has passed away. But still, there’s so much more that could be done if we would all come together, see each other for who we are as humans, and work together to build up community instead of tearing it down. 

So, I encourage you again because I was on my soapbox today, I know it’s uncomfortable sometimes. I know we don’t like it, but try to be kind even to the street vendors. Because they’re just trying to feed their kids and keep a roof over their heads.