Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is considered one of the greatest advocates for civil rights. He is also seen as the personification of the greatness that can be produced from an HBCU. As a Morehouse graduate, his life is proof that the need for HBCUs in the African-American community is still great.
In commemoration of the life and legacy of Dr. King on MLK Day, Grambling State University students and nearby towns prepare events to celebrate the man who had a dream.
Grambling State will hold the “Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” observing his dedication and fight for African-American civil rights. Campus Ministries and the Favrot Student Union Board will host the event at 5 p.m. Monday at the GSU quadrangle. The speaker will be attorney Alana Belton.
The memorial will be followed by a candlelight procession that will end in the Black and Gold Room in Favrot Student Union.
Other area observances include:
Ruston
Also on Monday, Ruston will hold its 12th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Noon Ecumenical Observance service. It is sponsored by Louisiana Tech and will be held at the Ruston Civic Center. The speaker will be motivational speaker Steve Birdine.
Chicago-native Birdine, a member of the Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, was named one of America’s most influential African Americans by Ebony magazine 2002-2005. He has spoken at more than 300 institutions, conferences and businesses around the county.
“Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and the whole civil rights movement, is very important to the brothers of lota Phi Theta Fraternity Incorporated,” said Jarell Miller, 23, a criminal justice major from Brooklyn, N.Y.
“The major influences of our organizations stem from that troubling time in the black community.”
Miller is a member of the Iota Phi Theta Fraternity at GSU and plans to attend.
Shreveport
In downtown Shreveport, the Krewe of Harambee will hold an MLK Day parade on Monday. The parade begins at 1 p.m. at Milam Street and will end on Texas Street.
Minden
Minden is preparing its 27th annual MLK day Celebration from Saturday through Monday. A 3-on-3 basketball tournament will be at the Minden Rec Center 1 p.m. Saturday.
An Oratorical Contest, an academic speaking challenge, will start at 4 p.m. on Sunday. St. Rest Baptist Church is holding a Ministers Ecumenical March at 8 a.m. on Martin Luther King Drive, followed by a youth rally.