Photo By Scott Sturkol | Rev. Everett Mitchell, who besides being a pastor is also a juvenile court judge for...... read more read more
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Sharing time, helping others, and “spreading light” are the most important ways to honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., said the Rev. Everett Mitchell, guest speaker at Fort McCoy’s observance of the holiday Jan. 16.
Mitchell is a juvenile court judge for Dane County Circuit Court. He works with cases involving family reunification and juvenile delinquency, as well as other civil and criminal proceedings. He’s also a senior pastor at Christ the Solid Rock Baptist Church in Madison, Wis.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, while a federal holiday, is called a day of service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities, according to www.nationalservice.gov. Mitchell spoke about how King’s commitment to helping others shaped his own life and his work as both a pastor and a judge.
“I wanted to be the kind of judge who saw injustices in this place and made adjustments. I didn’t want to rubber stamp (my cases) just because someone told me what I had to do or had to become,” Mitchell said.
To become the sort of judge who makes a difference, Mitchell said, he had to spend time with the children and teenagers who appeared in his court. He had to get to know them and their problems and earn their trust, he said. In his biography, he states that the first time people see him should not be when they appear in his court. To help ensure this, he visits Dane County classrooms to visit children and talk about his work; participates in community events; and speaks at colleges, workshops, and more.
“Before they can respect me, they need to trust me,” Mitchell said.
One of his biggest priorities is seeing that every child has an equal opportunity to get a good education, including those who need special education and/or end up in the justice system.
“There’s only one path for a child who’s uneducated, and that’s straight to prison,” Mitchell said. “They won’t even have the fundamental skills to get a job at McDonald’s. They can’t pass a test to get into the armed forces. … So the only option we have been giving these children for over 20 years is prison.”
He said he frequently tells children that he is a reflection of what they can be. He came from a similarly difficult background as many of them and if he can become successful, so can they.
“You can redefine who you are,” Mitchell said. “Whatever you see in me, you can become because you’re smarter than I was. ... You’ve got that grit, that determination.”
Mitchell said it’s important to spend time on causes and matters that are important to you, even when it’s difficult or you’re not welcomed.
“I’m not people’s favorite. ... I’m fine with that, because at the end of the day, I can sleep knowing that the children I serve are being given the right opportunity to be the best they can be,” he said.
Volunteering your time can make a big difference, even if it’s only by providing an example or showing that you care about a cause. “(King) said the most important question is what are you doing for others?” Mitchell said. “Every time you’re in spaces where people don’t expect you, you’re spreading your light.”
The observance was organized by the Fort McCoy Equal Opportunity office.
Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin.
The installation has provided support and facilities for the field and classroom training of more than 100,000 military personnel from all services each year since 1984.
Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” and on Twitter by searching “usagmccoy.”
| Date Taken: | 01.22.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 01.22.2020 13:49 |
| Story ID: | 359934 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WI, US |
| Web Views: | 48 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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