Local News - January 2004

MLK Day celebration set Monday

Published January 16, 2004

By DIANE TURBYFILL, Staff Writer

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Lincoln will celebrate the life of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Monday.

Many events will mark Martin Luther King Day — honoring the civil rights leader who was gunned down in 1968.

“He was a great American. He stood up when it was really dangerous for an individual to even question the law of the land,” said the Rev. Robert Hamilton, president of the Lincoln County Branch of the NAACP.

Schools and county and city offices will be closed for the day.

The holiday will begin with a breakfast at 8 a.m. Monday at Oaklawn School.

Dr. Edward Saddler, superintendent of Gaston County Schools, will be the guest speaker.

The celebration will continue from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. with a children’s program at Providence Baptist Church on Hollybrook Road.

The second annual MLK Day parade will be held at 3 p.m.

Floats, cars, clowns and walkers will gather on the west side of the courthouse. The procession will travel down Main Street to Providence Baptist.

Diversity is encouraged for the parade, and entries will be accepted the day of the event.

The celebration will wrap up at 6 p.m. Monday at the Citizens Center. TV personality Beatrice Thompson will speak, and music from area church choirs will be integrated into the service.

All events are free and open to the public.

The community’s recognition of Martin Luther King Day is important for all races, Hamilton said.

“He put his life on the line. And it was his actions that not only helped black Americans, but it helped eliminate discrimination of all individuals,” said Hamilton.

Unfortunately, Hamilton said, the world has not completely fulfilled the civil leader’s dream.

Equality has come a long way, but wages aren’t where they should be for minorities, and representation in government is lacking, he said.

Hamilton said there are no black state senators, county commissioners or city council members.

“Some of the things that he has worked for have still not come to pass,” Hamilton said. “We still have a way to go.”

Despite the rocky road ahead, Hamilton said the increasing response from the community is enlightening.

“I’m very encouraged that the good people of Lincoln County have rallied — that the city, the county commissioners and the school board have recognized this.”

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