Community-wide clean up in honor of MLK Jr. Day

Members of the community came together Friday morning inside Georgia College’s Magnolia Ballroom to celebrate and kick off the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend. Benches in the room were labeled by each site name, allowing students to sit in there groups.

Event spokeswoman Winsor Barbee told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that organizers were short by about $60,000 because several sponsors pulled their funding over the boycott threats.

City officials say when someone comes forward about a possible name change, they like to get community feedback. “I thought it was really cool idea to not have any idea of where you’re going to go or what you’re going to do”. Donations will be distributed to area food pantries.

“For many years, I worked with my congressional colleagues and the National Park Service to preserve these Atlanta landmarks and to enhance visitor experiences and services”, Lewis said.

“We’re seeing trails bring families together, improve city health, and spur economic development”.

Before the young students stepped into the spotlight, numerous civic and community leaders took the podium to explain what MLK and his holiday mean to them.

“One of the things we feel especially excited about this year is that we have a dramatic presentation for third through fifth grade students”, said long-time Alpena MLK, Jr. African-Americans were not allowed to drink at certain water fountains. A program beginning at 12:30 p.m.at Macedonia Baptist Church features guest speakers Daniel Blaine, pastor of Mt. Ararat Missionary Baptist Church of Bartlett, and Rev. Steve Miller, project director and founder of the HBCU Truth & Reconciliation Oral History Project. Day of Service, embracing a “day on, not a day off”. In addition to performances by local artists and the Academy of Richmond County marching band, the event recognized the extraordinary contributors with a letter from Mayor Hardie Davis Jr., according to Shepard.

Johnson said that King’s marches for equality and other forms of activism during his lifetime were in-line with the beliefs the office upholds.

Scholarship recipient Anna Gorfinkel of Springfield said, “I just think that its important that we are able to learn about all cultures, races and religions”.

Early risers can join the “extra mile”, which departs at 8:30 a.m. from the Oak Park Community Center, 3425 Martin Luther King Jr. Events will continue till Tuesday, Jan. 16. AP is the largest and most trusted source of independent news and information.