Johnson began his address by applauding Art Rocker and the work of his advocacy organization “Operation People for Peace” in addressing the needs of underserved and underrepresented communities and urging individuals to join in the effort.

For the youth in the audience, Johnson stressed the importance of education. “Everything you want in life, you can have it. But, you got to get it through a good education,” Johnson says.  Johnson believes he’s living proof of the success that can be had, despite being from a poor family in Lansing, Michigan.

“No matter how poor you grow up, you don’t have to have poor dreams,” he says.  Johnson says he dreamed of playing in the NBA, and he had an incredible career as he won five championships with the Los Angeles Lakers.  But, he says he always had thoughts of becoming a businessman, using his money to invest in the same kinds of communities like the one he grew up in.  Johnson partnered with Sony to build Magic Johnson Theaters; opening the first of his chain theaters in the Crenshaw district of Los Angeles in 1994. Later, he partnered with the owner of Starbucks to bring the coffee giant to urban America.

The entrepreneur encouraged young people to find a mentor in the community to idolize, like he did.  Clearly, it has paid off for Johnson, who’s extremely proud of how far he’s come in the business world. “Who would have ever thought Magic Johnson would own the Dodgers,” Johnson proclaimed, adding that he and his partners also recently purchased the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA.

The event was organized by Operation People for Peace, a local advocacy group run by civil rights figure Art Rocker, who now resides in the Florida Panhandle. During the speech, Johnson announced his foundation would donate $50,000 to the organization. 

Pensacola-based advocacy group Operation People for Peace brings Magic Johnson to Blue Wahoos stadium to spread his positive message about transforming lives and communities.

Johnson began his address by applauding Art Rocker and the work of his advocacy organization “Operation People for Peace” in addressing the needs of underserved and underrepresented communities and urging individuals to join in the effort. 

August 28 will mark the 50th anniversary of Dr. King’s Nobel Prize winning “I have a Dream” speech. In honor of that, People for Peace Incorporated, is feeding more than 50,000 families across the coast. The organization’s chairman feels inclined to help those in need, because it is what Dr. King would have wanted.

“This is what Dr. King died for. He loved the poor, but unfortunately he was not able to carry out his dream,” said Rocker.

Tabernacle of Faith Church in Gulfport hosted a spirited service just before passing out bags filled with food to dozens of people. The church’s pastor, Anthony Thompson, has been working with Operation People for Peace for many years now. He feels honored that his church was able to host the event.

“Just being able to be of service to the neighborhood, not only about telling people to come to church, but being able to provide for poor people the way they should be provided for,” said Bishop Thompson.

The program was filled with inspirational music, dance, and readings. Rocker ended on a motivational note, reminding the undeserved community that even though they can’t go to the anniversary march in Washington they must keep fighting for equality right here in Gulfport.

The organization will visit 11 cities during their tour. On August 20 they will be in Moss Point. For more about Operation People for Peace, Inc. click http://operationpeopleforpeace.org/

During a press conference in Marianna Saturday, The group gathered to spread that message.

The men describe the institution that was supposed to be a place to improve their lives as more of a work camp that destroyed them. Now, they’re seeking justice not only for themselves, but for those that never left the grounds.

For the second time since leaving the Dozier Reform school in Marianna, John Bonner revisits his past.

“You know the way we were treated… it just kind of forced you to try to grow up over night,” said Bonner.

He and four other self-proclaimed “Black Boys” met Saturday to share their experiences of beatings and mistreatment.

“Well, the painful memory I think is part of that process of us trying to get closure,” said Bonner.

Those struggles were evident as one-by-one each man talked of what they called a “living hell”. Those experiences, they say, robbed them of a part of their childhood.

“They take you to the ice cream house, ice cream house is where they kill you at and whip you at,” said 82-year-old Leo Collier.

“I started crying, I wanted my mother,” said Johnny Gaddy.

The now closed Arthur G. Dozier School has been at the center of a state wide controversy over alleged abuse and the possibility of more than 50 unmarked graves discovered by University of South Florida researchers.

“Did the juvenile system sentence these boys to Dozier to become modern day slaves,” said Antoinnette Harrell.

“They didn’t give you any “time”,” said Collier. “He just says, ‘I’m sending you to Marianna.’

“But it wasn’t no school. It was a work camp.”

Supporters asked for justice and for the state to recognize what they say happened at Dozier.

“We are not here to grief,” said Art Rocker, Chairman of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. “We are here to wake up America concerning Dozier.”

On Tuesday, Governor Rick Scott and the Florida Cabinet will decide whether to give USF researchers the go ahead to exhume the possible graves at Dozier.

“We’re going to make sure that whatever they do they’ll be allowed to do legally,” said Scott on Saturday.

Researchers will have one year to search for the bodies of boys who reportedly died between 1900 and 1952 at the one-time “high risk” reform school.

Some residents there whose homes had up to 4 feet of water in them due to Hurricane Isaac had lost their homes during Katrina.

By Sept. 6, Operation People for Peace was able to take a truckload of supplies donated by Hillcrest Baptist Church on East Nine Mile Road in Pensacola, Fla., to Pearlington and Gulfport. Additionally, we visited Plaquemines Parish and LaPlace, La., where the water had finally receded. In these target areas Operation People for Peace and members of Hillcrest Baptist Church passed out cleaning supplies, food and personal items to those in need.

LaPlace and Plaquemines Parish in Louisiana are both areas that have been greatly affected by Hurricane Isaac, where water in many places was waist high and thousands of families have had to move in with each other because their homes are unlivable.

Operation People for Peace will be visiting the areas affected by Hurricane Isaac for the next six weeks or until they run out of supplies and donations for Isaac victims. If you or any business or church you are a part of would like to donate, please contact us.

For more information on Operation People for Peace, visit www.operationpeopleforpeace.org or contact Jessica Donahue, (404) 840-6764.

Art Rocker, founder and chair of Operation People for Peace and Florida state chair of SCLC, can be reached at kingart43@aol.com, or on Facebook or via Twitter: @OPPeople4Peace.

In September 2012, Hurricane Isaac flooded the lowest parts of Mississippi (Pearl, MS and surrounding areas), the same parts that were forgotten for 10 days during Hurricane Katrina. Please see videos and pictures of what we did to work with this community. We passed out cleaning supplies, food, and baby and feminine products.

In December 2011, Rev. Al Sharpton mentioned on his National Radio Show the fact that the underserved and underrepresented in the Gulf Coast Region still have not been paid.