The Dr. Martin Luther King (MLK), Jr. Celebration Committee, a subcommittee of the Salisbury Human Relations Council, will host a weekend-long celebration to honor Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy beginning Saturday, Jan. 18.
The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Parade will take place on Saturday, Jan. 18, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Downtown Salisbury, beginning at the corner of Liberty and North Main Streets. Organizations throughout Rowan County will take part in the festivities, including local dance teams, elected officials, marching bands and other service groups. Pastor Timothy Bates is the parade’s grand marshal.
Following the parade, the annual post-parade celebration, and the inaugural winter Community Resource Fair, will take place from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. at the Salisbury Civic Center, 315 S. Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave. The Community Resource Fair is a repeat of the event typically held before students return to school in the fall. The winter event will feature local dance groups, free food and an additional school supplies giveaway.
Rounding out the weekend’s events, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast Program will be held Monday, Jan. 20, from 7 to 8:30 a.m. at the J.F. Hurley YMCA, 828 West Jake Alexander Blvd. Tickets for the breakfast program are $10, and can be purchased in the City Office Building located at 132 N. Main Street, 2nd Floor.
This year’s MLK breakfast speaker will be Rev. Dr. Norvel Goff Sr., former interim pastor of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C. Following the June 2015 tragedy, Rev. Goff provided leadership and pastoral oversight through the congregation’s healing process. As a result of his leadership, the governor of South Carolina awarded him the Order of the Palmetto, the highest civilian honor in the state of South Carolina.
The Salisbury Human Relations Council was created to identify concerns in the area of human relations, make recommendations regarding issues and engage in activities which shall be deemed best to the community for all citizens. The HRC consists of sixteen (16) members, eight appointed by the City Council of Salisbury and eight appointed by the Human Relations Council.