Suffolk's New Sheriff Leads Martin Luther King Day Celebration
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Suffolk Sheriff Dr. Errol Toulon gives his keynote address Monday night at the NAACP Huntington Branch’s Martin Luther King Jr. Jubilee Program at Bethel A.M.E. Church. Long Islander News photos/Connor Beach
By Connor Beach
cbeach@longislandergroup.com
Suffolk Sheriff Dr. Errol Toulon, Long Island’s first African American countywide, non-judicial elected politician, said Monday during the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Jubilee Program in Huntington that he’s faced challenges on the path to where he is today.
As an African American in Suffolk, he said, certain communities posed those challenges, but through them all his many accolades garnered him respect.
“That’s about all you can ask for when you walk into a place – not that you are looked at for the color of your skin, but that you are respected for the qualifications you bring,” Toulon said.
Toulon, who served as the program’s keynote speaker, said that like Dr. King before them, it is the responsibility of prominent community figures to be good role models for children and young adults.
Before he was elected in November, Toulon served as a captain with the New York City Corrections Department for 22 years, and earned a doctorate in educational administration from Dowling College.
His new role is “something I prepared for my entire life, through both my professional and academic experiences,” Toulon said.
Tracey Edwards, NAACP Long Island regional director, commended Toulon.
“He is without question the most qualified sheriff who has ever held the office in Suffolk County, and that gives us hope,” Edwards said.
Toulon was also joined by Huntington Supervisor Chad Lupinacci; town council members Joan Cergol, Mark Cuthbertson and Ed Smyth; Suffolk Legislature William “Doc” Spencer (D-Centerport); religious leaders from across Huntington; and a crowd that gathered at Bethel A.M.E. Church for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration.
Charleen Francis of the Huntington Branch’s executive committee served as mistress of ceremonies for the program, which celebrated the 89th anniversary of King’s birthday.
In addition to a number of speeches and prayers, the program was highlighted by a number of musical selections performed by the Bethel A.M.E. Church Tabernacle Choir and the Evergreen Missionary Baptist Church’s Voices of Evergreen, including an inspiring solo by Deacon Leon Jamison.
In his speech, Toulon referenced a famous Dr. King quote: “The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people, but the silence over that of the good people.”
Toulon continued, “Let me tell you, I will be there for the good people of Suffolk County if you’ll have me.”
Supported by murmurs of agreement from the audience, Toulon added, “It is not the correctional facilities that are creating mass incarceration, it’s the behavior in the streets, the lack of role models and the lack of discipline we are giving our children today.”
Bethel A.M.E. pastor Rev. Larry Jennings closed the program by thanking those in attendance and commending the members of the NAACP Huntington Branch for continuing the work of Dr. King.
