Still an inspiration to Americans and people throughout the world, Civil Rights leader and Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. will be honored here in Cooke County with local celebrations this Sunday and Monday.
The Cooke County Commissioners’ Court proclaimed Jan. 18 as Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in Cooke County during their Monday morning meeting. Members of the Court presented MLK Celebration chairperson Michael Stewart with the proclamation.
MLK Celebration Committee secretary Carolyn Hendricks said of the activities, “We're celebrating because of the legacy King left for mankind. That legacy is to have equal rights for everyone, for everyone to be treated equally. It is to have love for one another.”
“It's our 18th annual MLK Celebration this year,” said Stewart. “The theme for this year is, ‘Living Together, Working Together and Praying Together.’”
There has been a lot of good that has come out of King’s civil rights work, for the whole country over the years, he continued.
“He took a lot of abuse along the way, but he did not retaliate,” Stewart remarked. “We don't know the half of what he and others went through.”
Stewart said that he feels it was King’s Christian faith that brought him to accomplish his work and saw him through a lot of rough days.
“I admired him because of his approach to nonviolence,” he continued. “It was the way he approached it. Growing up, that is what I remember.”
Stewart said King envisioned a world where people treated each other well. “He was for justice for all,” he continued. “We are seeing the fruit of his labor.”
MLK Church Service
The church services start off the local celebration and this year the service will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Corinth Baptist Church in Gainesville, where Frank Lorne is pastor.
Guest speaker will be the Rev. Joe Bob Thomas of the Greater Emmanuel Baptist Church of Dallas.
The tribute will be given by Dr. Sheldon A. Ballatt, Sr.
The service will also include songs by Myrtle Thomas and the Gainesville Community Male Choir.
MLK Day Parade
The annual celebration continues on Monday morning with the MLK Day Parade, which starts at the Santa Fe Depot at 10 a.m. The parade will go up California Street and end at the Gainesville Civic Center.
This year the Grand Marshall of the MLK Day Parade is Myrtle Thomas.
MLK Celebration
The MLK Celebration will continue at the Gainesville Civic Center at 11 a.m. on Monday.
The featured speaker will be Rev. Gerald Daniels of the Antioch New Hope Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church in Gainesville.
Proclamations will be presented during the celebration by city and county officials.
This year the tribute to King will be given by Gainesville Middle School history teacher Bridgett Summers.
Scholarships will be awarded and include the North Central Texas College Scholarship, the Walter Trough Scholarship and the MLK Scholarship.
Master of Ceremony this year is Kevin Beall and music selections will be directed by Dr. Patrick Bradley.
The MLK Community Service Award and the Mile Stone Award will also be presented.
MLK Movies
MLK movies will be played at 2 p.m. Monday at the Gainesville Civic Center.
The MLK Celebration Committee includes Michael Stewart, chairperson; Jerry Hendricks, co-chairperson; Carolyn Hendricks, secretary; Mary Hunter, treasurer; Vickie Thomas, food administrator; James Hughes, activity coordinator; Jerry Henderson, co-activity coordinator; Ann Hughes, activity coordinator member; William Hendricks, activity coordinator member and Rev. Frank Lorne, chaplain.
The public is invited to all MLK activities.
The Corinth Baptist Church is located at 1012 N. Field St. in Gainesville, on the corner of Field and Potter.
The Gainesville Civic Center is located at 311 S. Weaver St.
For more information about the MLK Celebration events contact Michael Stewart at (940) 736-8463 or Carolyn Hendricks at (940) 727-8086.
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