We liked these words about Albion from Wes Dick at a recent City Council meeting where he received a proclamation of thanks. We are sharing them here.
“Thank you Dr. Mitchell, Mayor Domingo, City Council Members for this honor. Last night, Dr. Harry Bonner and the Kids at Hope hosted a splendid banquet in my honor and in honor of my wife Leslie.
Years ago, L. J. McKeown, police chief who had recently arrived in Albion, confided to me: “Albion is one interesting place.”
As historians, Leslie and I have been fortunate to live in a community that has a very interesting history.
I like to say:
Albion’s Story is America’s Story. A defining dimension of the Albion story is its racial and ethnic diversity. And central to Albion’s story has been a vibrant African American presence.
2016 marks the Centennial Year of the Great Migration of African Americans from the South to Albion. In November 1916, the Albion Malleable Iron Company brought 64 African Americans from Pensacola, Florida on a train to Albion. The rest, as they say, is history.
We are blessed with a community with a rich history. And the story is still unfolding…
There is more Albion history to be made and the Kids at Hope and the Mayor’s Youth Council are the rising generation of who will shape the history of “Albion & the American Dream.”
To everyone, thank you for your support.”
— Words of Appreciation at City Council Meeting, January 19, 2016,”
(Dr. Wesley Arden Dick)