Martin Luther King Holiday Events

Maryville, Mo. —Northwest Missouri State University will honor civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. with a series of events next week, including a "peace march" from the campus to the Nodaway County Courthouse in downtown Maryville.


King week activities begin Monday, Jan. 16, with a brunch at 11 a.m. in the J.W. Jones Student Union Ballroom. The march will follow at 12:30 p.m. Members of the Northwest community will also spend parts of the day volunteering at a local nursing home.
Monday is a federal holiday commemorating King's life and work. No classes will be held, and university offices will be closed.


Other activities include a unity celebration at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20, in the Student Union Ballroom. Members of the Northwest and Maryville communities will perform poetry, songs and dances promoting the themes of peace, justice, equality and unity. Participants are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items or monetary donations for local charities.


Throughout the week, "I Have a Dream" boards will be located across the campus. The boards will highlight King's "I Have a Dream" speech and will display words describing the dreams and aspirations of Northwest students and employees.


Feeding the homeless at MUST Ministries at 55 Elizabeth Church Road in Marietta on Jan. 14 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Youth Speak-Out, a youth oratorical competition, will be Jan. 15 from 3 to 5 p.m. at Marietta High School located at 1171 Whitlock Ave.
An MLK Commemoration Service will be conducted 3 p.m. on Jan. 16 at Union Chapel United Methodist Church at 264 Fowler Circle in Marietta.
A MLK Day parade will happen 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., beginning at the Lockheed Credit Union at 430 Commerce Park Drive. The parade will travel north on Fairground St. and west on Roswell Rd., before ending in Marietta Square.
A gala finishes the annual celebration 7 p.m. on Feb. 4 at the Crown Plaza Hotel Atlanta-Marietta located at 1775 Parkway Place off Interstate 75 in Marietta. The Rev. Dr. F. Keith Slaughter of Nashville's American Baptist College will be the guest speaker. Dinner will be served. Violinist Brooke Alford performs. Tickets are $50 each. Checks payable to Cobb SCLC may be sent to Cathy Bailey at 2692 Sandy Plains Road, Suite A-32, in Marietta.
For more information about SCLC events, contact Rev. Dr. Cheryl Graves, SCLC chairwoman, at 770-422-3268; Dell Alford at 404-717-9161; or Charlotte Mann at 678-355-9580.