Remaining ‘united’ in King’s legacy
Community gathers in several events during weekend to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.
The annual celebrations of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. got underway this weekend and continued through Monday after press time as the community came out to remember the legacy of America’s civil rights champion.
Book fairs, breakfasts, walks and the wrap-up celebration at the Cedartown Performing Arts Center were all part of the events held to honor King and those who have in years past pushed forward the need for equal rights across the country.
Along with the Youth Working Toward a “Speedy” Awareness, the Community Relations Commission and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Organization of Cedartown all held events starting last Thursday and wrapping up this past Monday night.
A large crowd gathered on Saturday morning to celebrate during the annual Community Relations Commission’s annual MLK Breakfast.
The Rev. James Wright Jr. of Cedar Springs Baptist Church of Cedartown provided this year’s address to the annual breakfast, and centered his message around the need for transformation in the way Christians believe and vote.
“United We Stand” was the topic last Saturday he was asked to speak on, but he said that it was hard to discuss the topic because “the country is divided in 50 different ways.”
He pointed out to the audience at the breakfast that they needed to transform all parts of themselves to be better Christians, and that would lead to greater unity between people.
Wright called for the crowd to come together, and said the work toward unity requires daily work to reach out to all and stand up for “Christian rights.” “We must love, because love conquers all things,” Wright said.
As the celebrations over the weekend continued for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Cedartown’s Friendship Baptist Church hosted their sixteenth annual MLK Jr. “Youth” Infusion celebration on Sunday evening.
The organization and other sponsors used the gathering to hand out the community and leadership awards, let youth show off their talents, and honor local civil rights trailblazers for their work and progress towards a better society over the weekend.
Frank Kenneth Jones was named 2019’s trailblazer and will be honored alongside former recipients of the award including 2014 trailblazer Sarah Darden, 2015 trailblazers Gladys Gipson and David Huskins, 2016 trailblazer John Callins, 2017 trailblazer Mary Callins, and 2018 trailblazer Estella McDermott.
Those who took part also got to witness this year’s MLK Jr. Proclamation from the Cedartown Board of Commissioners, and keynote speakers, dance performances, and much more promise to make the event worth attending.
Monday events wrapped up after press time with the annual MLK Walk held in downtown Cedartown on Main Street, and the 30th annual celebration at the Cedartown Performing Arts Center during the evening. They also honored community members who were finalists for honors for giving back in Polk County.
This year’s nominees included but weren’t limited to James Diamond for his role as a youth sports organizer and inspirational speaker, and Betty and Clint Cornwall of Helping Hands Food Pantry for their nearly two decades of providing food to Polk County residents in need.
Community volunteer Hardy Sams also was nominated for 2019, along with Joan Young.
Check back in the Jan. 30 edition for more on the nominees and winners and additional MLK celebration coverage.