A history maker honors a history maker: Mayor LaRhonda Patrick keynotes RAFB’s Dr. King event

Georgia native, and Baptist minister, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is arguably the most noted civil rights activist to ever walk the face of the earth. He made history as he fought for equality, civil rights and social change without ever picking up a gun. His weapons were his knowledge and his belief system. Using a message of nonviolence that was deeply rooted in his Christian faith, he was instrumental in changing the world.

When the citizens of Warner Robins, by popular vote, selected Mayor LaRhonda Patrick to be the new head of the city, they also played a part in her becoming a piece of history. For the first time since its incorporation as a city in 1956, Warner Robins has an African American female mayor, who also made history as the first minority mayor and the first female of any ethnic group to be elected to the office.

Patrick officially took office on January 3, and this year, as Robins Air Force Base celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, they chose to bring in the newly elected honorable mayor to share the keynote address.

As Patrick was introduced, it was highlighted that she comes from a long line of military service members. She’s the granddaughter of two Vietnam veterans, and her father—a 22-year Air Force veteran—currently serves on Team Robins as facilities maintenance flight chief of the 78th Civil Engineer Group. Patrick’s brother serves actively in the Air Force with the 78th Air Base Wing Communications Directorate.

Furthermore, her husband, Retired Captain Aaron Patrick, is a veteran of the United States Army.

As the mayor took her place at the podium, she began her address with several significant quotes, the first of which is a Chinese Proverb made famous by Lao-tzu.

“A journey of 1,000 miles begins with one single step.” She went on to echo words majorly credited to Mahatma Gandhi, saying, “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” and then followed that up with, “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, the passion to reach the stars and to change the world,” a quote from freedom fighter, Harriet Tubman. Patrick ended her introduction with a quotation from Dr. King. “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the full staircase.”

All these quotes have a common theme that Patrick wanted the audience to captures. That theme, she said, is, “It starts with me.”

The official theme of this year’s King event at Robins was “Remember! Celebrate! Act!” Patrick’s words, throughout her 20-minute speech, kept this thought in the forefront of the audience members’ minds.

Due to COVID-19 precautions, the Robins Remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. event was not open to the general public. It began at 10:00 a.m. and was held at the Museum of Aviation on Wednesday, January 12. According to a Robins spokesperson, only about 50 people were allowed to physically attend. Others who wished to witness the program were allowed to do so through Facebook Live where the brief program was streamed in real time.

“Dr. Martin Luther King was a pioneer of his time, one of the most notable and influential figures during the Civil Rights Movement,” Patrick stated. “He understood that change starts with one person, one pen, one book, one wit.” She went on to say, “Throughout history, the greatest inspirations have been those who looked within themselves to foster change.”

In her address, Patrick noted that fostering change requires promoting three key things: growth, development and encouragement. Sponsoring these things has a tendency to produce new ideas and correct errors.

She pointed out, “Those who foster change are called change agents—a person who promotes and enables change in their community or their surrounding or in their position.” Patrick mentioned that Dr. King was the most prominent change agent of the Civil Rights Movement, when race relations were at an all-time high. “He saw the widespread disparity, and he, himself, accepted the charge,” she added, indicating taking such a stance, King’s actions made a declaration that freedom started with him.

During her speech, Patrick cited others in history that she also deemed as change agents. Among them was President Theodore Roosevelt, who opened the door for African Americans to serve in the armed forces and Susan B. Anthony, who recognized the disparity in women and took a stand.

“Complacency is accepting when things are going wrong in this world or in your environment, and you sit by and do nothing; you say nothing. All you do is complain,” she stressed. “Complacency equals acceptance.”

Patrick extended the challenge for all to change this by recognizing a disparity, accepting a charge and having the courage to foster change. “It starts with you,” she said.

Later in her speech, Patrick revealed a few of the challenges she faced during her run for mayor. She sited a disheartening experience wherein her four-year-old son told her that she could not be mayor because she was female. Though no one in her household had ever told him that, she stipulated, “something in society did.” She spoke of the veterans that she met with, many of who traditionally had never supported a candidate that “looked like me.”

“I walked up to those Vietnam veterans because I was taught by my parents not to see color,” Patrick stated. “I met with them, I spoke to them, I endured the tough questions—the political questions that are out there. In the end, I gained their trust, and I gained their support.”

Further, she had the experience of meeting many traditionally Republican and/or Democratic voters “who wouldn’t vote for a candidate who looked like me.” Despite that, Patrick said she took on the challenge to get those individuals to see her by the contents of her character; not by her age, gender or race.

“In the end, I was successful enough to be named the historic mayor for the city of Warner Robins,” she said. Patrick followed that by posing the question of, ”What caused me to run for office?” Immediately answering, she stated, “I had the drive to run for office because I recognized a disparity while working at the General Assembly.”

The traditional character of our legislators was the base of that disparity, according to Patrick. It played a part in the game of politics and the way that bills are made, how they are created and who they actually benefitted.

“I realized, I recognized the public, the people, the constituency—the best interest of them were not always on the agenda.”

Patrick made it known that her passion to run for office began back then as she recognized a disparity. Additionally, she stated that her decision to run was based on her ability to take a charge, which was based on the fragile conditions of our nation, which, she said, could not be ignored. Accepting the charge, Patrick said she stated and will always state, “I want to be the change I wish to see in the world.”

Courage, she further stated, was needed in order for her to move forward with the charge she had accepted to run for the office of Warner Robins Mayor even with the knowledge that she was the unlikely candidate traditionally. Her courage to go against the norm and do something that was different, in the end, paid off.

As she brought her message for the morning to a close, Patrick went back to the four words she’d stressed shortly after she took the stand: “It starts with me.” Moreover, she said, “In our continually evolving and changing world, don’t forget the values that you learn throughout your military service. Complacency is not mandatory. Change is inevitable. And the future is unwritten. Be present and observant and recognize a disparity. Be bold and accept the charge to change something that isn’t right. Be courageous and foster change whenever and however you can. Be a change agent. No dream is too big and no task is too difficult for one person to put their best foot forward and try.”

Patrick ushered her historic appearance toward a close with one last quote from Dr. King. “Everybody can be great because everybody can serve.”

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