By LEAH WANKUM
Managing Editor
(WARRENSBURG, Mo., digitalBURG) — The packed ballroom in the Union was silent Tuesday as a diverse body of students, alumni, faculty, staff and special guests hung on every word of Cynthia Johnson’s message.
Cynthia “Mama J” Johnson, the keynote speaker at the Freedom Scholarship Dinner, performed an emotional firsthand experience of Elizabeth Eckford, one of the Little Rock Nine students.
That message centered on her beginnings as a child in poverty, dealing with a speech impediment, into her work as educator with a doctorate.
Cynthia, a UCM alumna who is commonly known as Mama J, was the keynote speaker at the University of Central Missouri’s 2016 Freedom Scholarship Dinner. Despite icy roads and snowy sidewalks, 330 members of the UCM community gathered to hear her message.
Cynthia had a cadence to her speech, speaking in the first person as Elizabeth Eckford, a member of the Little Rock Nine who desegregated Little Rock Central High School in 1957. She memorized a speech about Eckford’s story that her middle school speech and drama teacher, Ken Bell, taught her. Her speech impediment affected her ability to read aloud until the fourth grade. Everyone except for that teacher told her she could not succeed. Bell helped her speak clearly and gave her the words to share Eckford’s story with the world.
The nearly 60-year-old story was one of many stories Cynthia shared that evening. She said they fit well with the dinner’s theme this year: “Equality and Education Matter.”
“I know that it applies to us today because there are still children out there that have dreams and that want to offer something to the world,” Cynthia said. “The message is pointed in that it says never give up, never lose hope. I think the other message it says is that even though things may be hard in the beginning, faith makes things possible.”
Cynthia received her bachelor’s degree in education in speech communication, theatre and special education from Central Missouri State University, and her master’s degree in secondary administration from CMSU, and finally, her doctorate in educational leadership from Baker University.
“(The theme) speaks to me directly because my focus is on effectively educating children of poverty and diverse student populations, and as equality was important in 1954 with Brown v. the Board of Education, it’s equally important in 2016,” Cynthia said.
Lenita Johnson, former member of the UCM board of governors, introduced Cynthia and the recipients of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Scholarship at the closing of the dinner. Lenita said she doesn’t think anything matters more than equality and education.
“If we are going to have the kind of world that Dr. King talked about, those have to be forefront,” Lenita said. “We have to be able to make sure that everyone has the abilities to succeed so that they are able to reach equality, and education is the key to doing that.”
In her closing remarks, Lenita said there is so much work that needs to be done in equality and education.
“I think the things that we are doing in terms of making sure that we have avenues for young people to be able to attend college, for young people to be able to afford college, for young people to be able to be successful in college, those are the things that we have to do to be able to continue on our journey toward making a difference,” Lenita said.
Chuck Ambrose, UCM president, also gave opening remarks before Cynthia’s keynote message, citing her as a role model, educator, reminder of hope and encourager.
“I wish people would call me Mama J. Or I guess it’d be Daddy A,” Ambrose said. “But you don’t get that name unless you’re part of others’ encouragement. If we’re going to really demonstrate our commitment and taking that commitment to a greater degree, it starts right here. It starts with your support. It starts with that sense of love and community that Dr. King had us all strive for.
“It certainly causes us to treat others as we want to be treated. And you’re doing that by being a part of what has become one of the most important traditions on this campus, and that’s enabling these scholarships and giving young people opportunity, and we’re very grateful.”
Ed Wirthwein, director of the UCM Office of Mentoring, Advocacy and Peer Support, and chair of the MLK Committee, said the committee selected Cynthia as the keynote speaker because of her hometown and alma mater connections at the university.
“It was great for her to come back,” Wirthwein said. “We’re so proud, myself being an alum and working here. To have her back was just awesome.”
From left, Elexus Edwards, Aimee Ekstrom, Katherine Kim, Lindsay King, Mathew Martinez and Kaitlyn Austin.
As a UCM graduate and Warrensburg native, Cynthia had much to share with fellow students that evening in order to encourage them and offer her support. She even shared her phone number and Twitter handle with the freedom scholarship recipients in order to stay connected with them after the dinner.
“The message that I want students here at UCM to know and understand is that every student has the power to be great, and great is not competing against one another,” Cynthia said. “But great means to reach your fullest potential.”
Recipients of the Freedom Scholarship include Elexus Edwards of Kansas City, Missouri; Aimee Ekstrom of Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri; Katherine Kim of Oak Grove, Missouri; Lindsay King of Warrensburg; Mathew Martinez of Warrensburg; and Kaitlyn Austin of Harrisonville, Missouri.