County will celebrate Dr. King

The 1998 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration for Wayne County will be held Monday, Jan. 19 in Sodus.

The event is free and open to the entire community. The day will start with the traditional noon march at the Sodus Jr./Sr. High School near the tennis courts on Mill Street extension. Marchers will proceed to the Third United Methodist Church on Main Street at 1 p.m. A service commemorating Dr. King's life and legacy will be held at the church.

Featured speaker will be Brother Earvin Green, pastor of the Church of Christ in Newark. In keeping with past tradition Dr. Greene's talk will carry on Dr. King's theme of "Dream."

Musical selections will be provided by the Wayne County Greater Inspirational Gospel Choir. Anyone interested in practicing with the choir in preparation for the service is invited to call Rev. Vera Alford at 946-4482. All in attendance are invited to partake in a free public dinner immediately following the service.

The MLK Celebration has been held for the last 13 years in Wayne County. Originated in the late 1960's, as a method for keeping Dr. King's movement alive after his assassination in Memphis in 1968, the service and march have undergone transitions. At first, the celebration was planned and carried out by several predominantly African-American churches in Wayne County and supported by civil rights activists and concerned citizens.

In the mid-eighties, the Wayne Action for Racial Equality (WARE) picked up the organizational work. For a number of years, the event was co-sponsored by the county chapter of the NAACP. With the reorganization of the local NAACP chapter, a broad committee of concerned citizens has joined WARE to carry on the important work preparing the celebration.

On January 18 at the Williamson McDonald's on Route 104, all are invited to stop in for a hot cakes and sausage breakfast, to benefit the Timothy L. Barber Memorial Scholarship Fund. Breakfast will be served from 7-11 a.m. (Ronald McDonald will be present 9-11 a.m.). Tickets are available from most WARE members or by calling the Cornell Migrant Program at 483-4092.

The scholarship fund has issued two $500 scholarships for each of the last nine years in the memory of Tim Barber who was an original member of Wayne Action for Racial Equality and a tireless worker for equality in Wayne County. Tim died in an automobile accident after graduating from Williamson High School in 1988.

The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend celebration has been in the planning stages throughout the year. The committee wishes to extend a very special invitation to all county teachers, school principals, ministers, and others who work with area youth to attend some or all of the events. The actual service always involves several students and those who work with students in the county are encouraged to come and deepen the bond of community that they share with children, parents, and others.

top of page
return to index

Copyright © 1998
Courier-Gazette, 613 S. Main St. Newark, N.Y. 14513
All Rights Reserved