By Valerie Holley- King
While we as a nation have the privilege of honoring the life and legacy of a man who risked his life and own freedom to promote and enforce the civil rights for many, there are still individuals who remember when the idea of a National Day commemorating King was just a glimmer of a thought. Martin Luther King’s death in 1968 as with many high profile assassinations during the Civil Rights era prompted a period of stages of collective grief, anger, and action. Dr. King’s specifically culminated with the realization that the man who had done so much should be regaled and elevated to the same pinnacle as other historical and legendary figures; figures whose vision helped shaped the ideology and social consciousness of this country. While there was some consensus that a national holiday be created, the thought still needed to gain widespread acceptance. So in 1983, a group of young men mostly African American decided to honor a man and promote the idea of creating a National holiday by doing what bonded them together- their love and pursuit of running. This loosely knit group of young men still in their twenties were identified as the Runners of Bikila, (named after an African runner BiBi Bikila) and with their unified thought embarked on a daunting albeit auspicious feat.
The co-founders of the group, Frank Dunham and Rudy Tracey along with Larry King, and Larry Conaway went to the only organization that they knew would support their idea – the Dixwell Q house, then directed by Joseph Schofield. The names of the other participants included Maharry Weeks, Larry Inge, Peter Santos, Gerry Grate, Wayne Levey and Annie Yopp. With Schofield’s blessing, it was passed to the Operations Director, Jackie Bracey whose own enthusiasm and organizational skills helped to cement the idea. They approached Ms. Bracey with an unexpected and to many an unrealistic proposal – that the Runners of Bikila would run every step of every mile from the steps of the Capitol in Washington D.C back to the Q House in New Haven in a relay style of participants. It would be called the Dixwell Q House Freedom Run. Larry King of Woodbridge Ct. reflects on the initial idea. “We would meet and run races on the weekends as a group, but this event would be different. This run was for Martin Luther King. We felt we owed it to him.”
To many the idea of running five mile relays culminating in total mileage exceeding 400 seemed unrealistic but the young men wanted to recognize a man who had already changed the trajectory of their lives through his sacrifices and actions. The decade of the sixties ushered in a proliferation of civil rights legislation such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Civil Rights Act of 1968 and a number of other acts impacting housing, employment and college admissions. Much of this legislation was spurred by the actions and ideology of Dr. King who sought equal opportunity as well as the dismantling of oppressive Jim Crow laws.
The sitting Congressman at that time, Bruce Morrison, who represented Ct.’s third Congressional district (currently represented by Representative Rosa Delauro; Ct.) joined the planning of the event. The participation that followed from Morrison and his office would prove to be pivotal to the outcome. Hence on January 13, 1983, a small group of people including clergy and local political leaders marched in front of the Dixwell Q House with the purposes of not only acknowledging the Freedom Run and the monumental challenge facing the group but to pray for their safe journey.
Congressman Morrison carried the mantle to Congressman John Conyers (D. who as leader of the Congressional Black Caucus organized a ceremonial send- off on the steps of the U.S. Capitol building in D.C. John Conyers had the distinction of consistently voicing the need for King’s life as a National Holiday beginning shortly after the 1968 assassination but the traction had not yet garnered the requisite acceptance by the House and the Senate. The Capitol ceremony included a proclamation from D.C’s Mayor Marion Berry. The runners of Bikila were each bestowed the Congressional Medal of Honor in recognition of outstanding and valuable service to the community and as they left the Capital they were escorted on foot by the Howard University Track Team.
One of the runners, Frank Dunham currently residing in North Carolina, reflects on that experience, “The Freedom Run was difficult but amazing. We rode and slept on a bus and as one runner stopped another took his place. It took two days to complete but our commitment never wavered.” The run itself went smoothly except for a small threat as the bus neared the Mason Dixon line. Larry Conaway, a current New Haven, Ct. resident, muses that there was an attempt to misdirect the runners’ route as they entered Maryland. “We were in Klan territory and their misdirection would have put us twenty-five miles away from our route and potentially in harm’s way. We ignored the man’s directions and were able to keep on track”. Conaway’s reflections also show how the run impacted him personally. “When I reflect on the Freedom Run, I remember and focus on the purpose but I also remember the camaraderie, success and feeling of accomplishment that came with it.”
A brief time after the January 1983 Freedom Run had been completed, an increase in momentum for the King holiday took impetus. Bolstered by the valiant efforts of the Bikila Track Club and the Dixwell Q House, in May 1983, Congressman Morrison wrote the members of the club not only of their selfless achievement but of his decision to co-sponsor the Martin Luther King Day bill, A co-sponsor of a bill is a senator or representative who adds his or her name as a supporter to the sponsor’s bill. The Congresswoman who is credited with actually sponsoring the bill was Katie B. Hall (Democrat Indiana).
In August 1983, Congressman Morrison addressed his colleagues on the Congress floor and when speaking on behalf of the MLK Day bill referenced the January Freedom Run, the Runners of Bikila and the Dixwell Community House.
“The people of my district strongly support this legislation.
Last January 10th, members of the Dixwell Community House
Bikila Track Club of New Haven ran a 400 mile relay from
Washington D.C to New Haven, Ct. to generate support for the
the movement to win this holiday.”
In September 16, 1983, when Congress had passed the legislation overwhelmingly, Congressman Morrison was elated to write
The Senate would later pass the bill at a vote of 78 to 22 on October 18, 1983 and President Ronald Regan signed the holiday into law on November 2, 1983. The King holiday would first be observed three years later in 1986.
Frank Dunham states. “It was one of the best things that I ever did. I like to think that I was part of history.” Many who knew the accomplishments of the Runners of Bikila and the Freedom Run of 1983 tend to agree he was.