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Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Dignity, equality and freedom flourish when everyone joins hands in service

Posted 1/16/25

CLAY COUNTY – Martin Luther King Jr. would have turned 96 on Wednesday, Jan. 15. As time continues to take us from when the Baptist minister, political philosopher, activist and one of the most …

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Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Dignity, equality and freedom flourish when everyone joins hands in service


Posted

CLAY COUNTY – Martin Luther King Jr. would have turned 96 on Wednesday, Jan. 15. As time continues to take us from when the Baptist minister, political philosopher, activist and one of the most influential leaders in the civil rights movement was assassinated in 1968 to today, his principles have become even more relevant.

He withstood unspeakable levels of hate, prejudice and injustice, but he remained steadfast in his belief that all men were created equal. More importantly, he preached peace and nonviolence, relying on man’s ability to find inner decency eventually. While he didn’t live long enough to see most of his dreams come true, his work will forever be memorialized in the United States by Congress and community groups.

National holiday or not, the organization will spend the weekend and the federal holiday, Monday, Jan. 20, serving their community with various projects around Clay County, with several food banks, cleanup projects and filling bags of personal items for children and seniors.

It’s the type of selfless work King championed.

On Nov. 2, 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed a bill creating a federal holiday to observe Jan. 20 as Martin Luther King Jr. Day. In 1992, President George H.W. Bush signed a proclamation to change the federal holiday to the third Monday of January as Martin Luther King Jr. Day to ensure it falls closer to King’s actual birthday.

Several organizations now honor King’s legacy in ways he would like most by serving their community.

The community rallies will start on Saturday, Jan. 16. The Impact Clay Train will be at Keystone Heights Junior/Senior High from 10 a.m. to noon to deliver bags of food for 150 families, free hot meals, counseling for mental health and addiction, information on services, haircuts, clothing, games, medical checkups, books, train rides and showers.

Food distributions will also be at Clay High and Celebration Church in Orange Park.

The Green Cove Springs City Council proclaimed January as Martin Luther King Jr. Month during its regular session on Tuesday, Jan. 6. Council member Connie Thomas accepted the declaration and reminded fellow council members and residents of other events in the city on Saturday as part of the MLK Celebration.

“With the proclamation, all of the information that was just given out should resonate daily with Martin Luther King, as far as the nonviolence and taking care of our brothers,” Butler said. “With that being said, this year, on his birthday [week], we will celebrate his birthday. We will be at the First African Missionary Baptist Church at 433 Palmetto Ave. The speaker will be Rev. Adrian Andrews, a pastor at Penney Farms. He’s also served as Mayor of Penney Farms and is currently a council member in Penney Farms.

"There’s a unique program that’s set forth. Normally, the program is done on MLK Day, which is Jan. 20, but we’re doing it differently this year. For one, it’s Inauguration Day. In addition to that, for a day of service, we will be at Vera Francis Park, beginning at 11 o’clock, with Impact Clay. So, tell everybody.”

The event is from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., including volunteers from Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, the Vineyard Transitional Center, Food for Clay County, Men of God, the City of Green Cove Springs and Impact Clay. Residents can visit the park on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to pick up canned goods and non-perishables.

The United Way of Northeast Florida has a full slate of community projects to tackle the economic challenges in underserved communities. The projects were selected in collaboration with community and neighborhood leaders to reflect their most urgent needs and were focused on where they were needed most.

The United Way believes in King’s vision of a community where dignity, equality and freedom flourish when everyone joins hands in service.

In addition to the food distribution at Celebration Church, United Way will coordinate the creation of Snack Packs for Children, Personal Care Kits for Children, Happy Bottoms Diaper Drive for Clay, Confidential Kit Packs and Senior Care Packs.

Then on Feb. 1, Dr. Barbara McNeeley Bouie, the Music Consultant to the AME Church, Cedric Williams, Collaborating Musician and Rev. Rose Wilson, Narrator, will entertain parishioners at Mt. Zion AME Church at 549 Palmetto Ave., in Green Cove Springs, on Feb., 1 at 4 p.m.

According to the church, the program is presented by The Friends of Augusta Savage. It will cover African American musical forms from slavery to post-emancipation to the advent of gospel music.

An emphasis will be placed on the work of Dr. Thomas Dorsey and the singers he used and developed to help him spread his creation. We will then investigate the various formats that evolved based on this musical history to the present day.

The program seeks to tell the story by demonstrating the importance of African American sacred music to African Americans’ survival and ability to thrive in the unfriendly environment of the United States. Come, pat your feet, clap your hands and sing along in celebration of African American heritage.

The program is free and open to the public.