Spiver Gordon, President of the Alabama Civil Rights Museum announced several programs to honor the life and commemorate the birthday of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. will be held this month in Greene County.
“It is important for people in Greene County and around the nation to celebrate Dr. King’s birthday and to recognize the principles and ideals that he stood for and supported,” said Gordon. “ We should not take a day off but rather a day ‘on’ to study, understand and put into action the teachings of Dr. King,” he added.
On Tuesday, January 15, 2019, the actual day of Dr. King’s Birthday there will be a youth seminar at New Peace Baptist Church in Eutaw, at 10:00 AM, for students at Eutaw High School and people in the community. Kendrick Office, Sumter County football coach will be the keynote speaker. He will be joined by members of the Greene County School Board and other public officials in bringing a special message to youth on the continuing lessons of Dr. King’s life and teachings.
On Sunday, January 20, 2019 at 4:00 PM there will be a “Community Freedom Rally’ at Pine Grove CMC Church in Dollarhide to praise and recognize ‘Godly Men and Women of West Alabama’ counties, including Greene, Sumter, Pickens, Hale, Marengo and Tuscaloosa. Rev. Joe Webb of New Generation Church in Eutaw will be the keynote speaker for this mass meeting.
Monday, January 21, 2019, the official Dr. King National Holiday, will begin with a ‘Freedom Unity Breakfast’ at the Eutaw Activity Center at 8:30 AM. Keynote Speaker will be Rev. Dr. Michael Lavender, Pastor of St. John’s Baptist Church in Clinton, AL. Additional awards and recognitions to ‘Godly Men of West Alabama’ will be presented.
After a march from the Eutaw Activity Center to the William M. Branch Courthouse, the ‘West Alabama Godly Women Program’ will be held, starting at 10:30 AM at the Courthouse. Rev. Dr. Millicent Owens of Greensboro, Alabama will be the guest speaker for this program. Rev. Owens is a radio personality and wife of John Owens, former Mayor of Greensboro.
Gordon also announced that saxophonist and musician Ric Sexton of Detroit, Michigan will be playing and speaking at some of the programs to honor Dr, King. The Greene County Community Choir and the Tishabee Male Chorus will sing and participate in some of the events. The Greene County Chapter of the Alabama New South Coalition will be co-sponsoring these events.
“We have been celebrating Dr. King’s Birthday in Greene County, for over forty years because of his contributions to civil rights and voting rights that made a direct and meaningful change in the lives of Black and poor people, here in Alabama, and around the world. We were part of the protests and movement that led to the declaration of Dr. King’s Birthday as a National Holiday,” said Gordon.