The Honorable Ronald Barnes will be the keynote speaker at this year’s MLK Community Development Corporation’s 2020 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration.
The MLK CDC sponsors its annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration during the month of January of each year to encourage and educate residents about Dr. King’s life and struggles.
The Theme for this Year’s Celebration is “Remembering Dr. M.L. King Jr. by emphasizing the Color of Unity.”
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. employed strategies of moral persuasion and non-violent protest to bring about social justice for African Americans during the modern civil rights movement.
Rev. Jerry James, chairman of the MLK CDC, said the local committee is planning a series of events to involve the community and residents of all ages in recognizing the achievements of this great civil rights leader.
The group’s annual opening ceremony will be conducted on Friday, Jan. 10 at 9 a.m. at Laurel High School. Students from throughout the area are being encouraged to take part in the program.
The group will conduct its annual scholarship banquet at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 11 at Sanderson Farms headquarters in Laurel.
Throughout the years, the group has obtained prominent speakers for this important occasion that also includes the showcasing of young talented students from within the community. Among the previous keynote speakers for this event are Mississippi Supreme Court Judge Leslie King, former Hattiesburg Superintendent James Bacchus, Forrest County Justice Court Judge Gay Polk-Payton and former Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny Dupree. State Rep. Omeria Scott also speaks on the program each year and updates the audience on things going on around the state. In 2011 DuPree, who served as Hattiesburg’s mayor for more than 16 years, became the first African-American to represent a major party as a candidate for governor of Mississippi since the Reconstruction era.
An addition to the celebration is the institution of a 5K walk/run on Saturday, January 18. The celebration will continue with the annual memorial service on Sunday, Jan. 19 at 6 p.m. at Second Baptist M.B. Church of Laurel. To climax the series of activities, the committee will conduct a breakfast at Morning Star M.B. Church on Monday, Jan. 20 (on the date of Dr. King’s national holiday), beginning at 8 a.m.
Anyone needing more information concerning the list of events being sponsored by the MLK CDC or would like to purchase tickets to the scholarship banquet or represent your church or organization in the group’s souvenir journal or at one of the programs can contact any member of the committee or call Rev. Jerry James Sr. at 601-935-8976.