The national holiday marks the birthdate of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the third Monday of every January. President Ronald Reagan signed the bill creating the holiday on Nov. 2, 1983, in a special ceremony in the White House Rose Garden. King was the chief spokesman of the nonviolent civil rights movement, and was assassinated in 1968.
“Martin Luther King Day is not only a day to celebrate Dr. King’s legacy, but also a day to remember Dr. King’s mission. That mission inspires us to work for reconciliation and justice today,” said Dan Ott, assistant professor of religious studies at St. Andrews and a member of the planning committee.
Members of the NAACP Youth Council will start off the holiday celebration tonight at 6 at St. Andrews. Ministerial Alliance Communication Director Darrel "BJ" Gibson, Jr. will be the keynote speaker for the event.
A Unity Prayer Breakfast will be presented at the Highlands in Laurinburg on Saturday at 9 a.m. The event will feature guest speaker Pastor Kenneth Blease of Northview Harvest Ministries and costs $6 per person.
The Martin Luther King celebration continues on Sunday at 6 p.m. with a Unity Service at Solid Rock Missionary Baptist Church in Laurinburg where Dr. O.T. McMillan, director of Bureau Evangelism of A.M.E. Zion International, will be the keynote speaker.
The annual Unity March and Worship event starts at 10 a.m. on Monday. Participants should convene at Badcock Furniture Store, located at 417 Atkinson Street in Laurinburg, at 9:30 a.m. The march will proceed to Bright Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church where newly elected NAACP President Robert Malloy will be the keynote speaker.
As part of the King Day of Service, teams of students, faculty and staff from St. Andrews will volunteer with several community organizations in Scotland County on Monday.
The United States Congress created The King Day of Service in 1994 as part of the King Holiday and Service Act. Participation has grown steadily, with Americans volunteering in their communities annually in celebration of the late civil rights leader.
A group of faculty and student affairs staff at St. Andrews selected partnerships with community organizations, including Church Community Services, Habitat for Humanity, Helping Hands, the Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis Center, the Red Cross, the Storytelling Arts Center, The Haven Animal Shelter and Washington Park Elementary School.
Student leaders were selected to head each team and to recruit additional student participants. According to Deborah Hawkins, associate professor of philosophy, each project has an excited student team leader and a group of volunteers eager to help the community.
The group working with the Storytelling Arts Center of the Southeast of Laurinburg will lay tile and do some light construction work. The team volunteering at Helping Hands will help to rehabilitate the parking lot and sort through clothes for the thrift store. The group for the Scotland County Red Cross will work on promoting the blood drive, while the group working with Church Community Services will sort cans and other goods. The team for Scotland Community Health Center will perform patient surveys and office work. Those helping The Haven Animal Shelter will paint and walk dogs. Habitat for Humanity will have their team help paint; the team volunteering at Washington Park Elementary School will work on enhancing the playground.
Teams will begin their projects at 10 a.m. and return to campus after 3 p.m. for a period of group reflection prior to attending the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration in Avinger Auditorium at 5 p.m. sponsored by the College.
This year’s event, which is free and open to the public, will feature the nationally recognized musical group The Peay Brothers.
“The Martin Luther King celebration is a special event not only for St. Andrews but also for our community. I think it’s an opportunity where the community can come together and we can fellowship together while remembering Dr. King’s legacy," said Rona Leach McLeod, visiting assistant professor of education and chair of the planning committee. "His legacy has an impact on each of us. We believe this will be an excellent way to end the day of celebration for the entire community.”
The Peay Brothers have been performing throughout the Carolinas for more than 20 years. Natives of Rowland, Majid, Taimine, Katif and Solomon grew up blending voices to hallmark a favored family harmony. Formerly known as The Gospel Joylites, the group was formed upon the dream of their late father. The group, with continued guidance from mother Joyce, recently worked with WFMY News 2 of Greensboro to complete a theme song for the station. They are currently working with Grammy Winning Producer Tim Green. The Peay Brothers were also featured on the CBS Early Show’s “Singing Family Face-Off”, in which they climbed to the number two spot through internationally submitted votes.
Leach McLeod said that in addition to The Peay Brothers, some young local performers and a poet from Youngsville will provide the audience with a "multi-faceted celebration in song, poetry and dance.”
Under the direction of Supervisor Deberry Spaine and Choreographer Tyris Jones, the Ellis Johnson School’s Independent Educated Jumpers will perform a celebration in dance.
The St. Andrews Presbyterian College Chamber Choir will sing Laszlo Halmos' "Jubilate Deo," Nancy Cobb's "Praise the Lord Who Reigns Above," and Keith Hampton's "Celebrate!"
Entertainment will also be provided by poetry from retired educator Jacqueline Dove-Miller.
For information concerning the event at St. Andrews, call the college at 277-5337.
More information about Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is available at www.mlkday.gov
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