From parades to service projects, several events in the Mountain Empire are set to honor and celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.
The official holiday marking the birth date of the slain civil rights leader will be observed Monday, although King’s birthdate was Jan. 15. And events in the region are scheduled throughout the weekend.
In Abingdon, Va., today, the Rev. Donald Swift, pastor of Charles Wesley United Methodist Church and John Wesley United Methodist Church in Bristol, will be the guest speaker for two Virginia Highlands Community College events.
He will speak at 2 p.m. in the Keyser-Aday Theatre on the VHCC campus. At 7 tonight, Swift will take part in a community service at Charles Wesley Church at 322 West Main St.
On Saturday in Abingdon, a March for Peace and Justice will be held at 1:30 p.m. at Charles Wesley United Methodist Church. At 2 p.m., following the parade, the 23rd annual Celebration of the Life of Martin Luther King Jr. will be held at Sinking Springs Presbyterian Church at 136 East Main St. A reception will follow in the church’s fellowship hall. The events are sponsored by the Appalachian Peace Education Center.
On Sunday, Emory & Henry College is hosting a worship service that will honor African-American worship styles. Called The Power of One, the service will be led by E&H graduate K.C. Ford and will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Memorial Chapel at the college in Emory, Va.
The following day, a keynote address called The Man, His Movement and the Continued Legacy at Home and Abroad will be delivered by Dr. Abdul Karim Banugra. Also in Memorial Chapel, the address begins at 10 a.m. Monday.
The address will be followed by 10 small group presentations moderated by facilitators from the college and community members who will share personal stories of the civil rights movement. The discussions will take place beginning at 11:30 a.m. at several campus locations.
E&H also is having a MLK Day of Service in which students, staff, faculty and community residents participate in service projects in the surrounding area.
King’s accomplishments and those of other activists will be celebrated during a buffet dinner at 5 p.m. Monday at the E&H Van Dyke Center.
Also on Monday, the 10th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Parade will be held in downtown Kingsport.
The parade begins at noon at the intersection of East Sevier and Center streets and ends on Shelby Street.
According to a news statement, the event will celebrate Kingsport’s first street named after King and the 2009 swearing in of the nation’s first black president.
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