Events celebrated Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy Monday

Numerous events celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy and history Monday, Jan. 20, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

There also were events that took place before the federal holiday, including the 23rd annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Extravaganza on Jan. 15 at Cape Central High School’s Kinder Hall Auditorium and the 35th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. community program Sunday, Jan. 19, at St. James AME Church, 516 North St.

Debra Mitchell-Braxton said organizers held their first musical to honor the birthday of MLK on Jan. 15 at Kinder Hall. She said they had children playing in choirs and instruments for the birthday extravaganza.

Braxton also said they were blessed to experience good weather for the holiday while “cold”. She described the turnout as good for the 40th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Breakfast on Monday, Jan. 20, at Shawnee Park Center.

“The Boy Scout Troop No. 2 of Cape Girardeau. They posted the colors. It was about 10 young men. They posted the colors at both the breakfast,” Braxton said. “The breakfast had an excellent speaker, Rev. Bobby Dean from Poplar Bluff. He’d been a mental health personnel employer and has been a minister for years. He talked about keeping Dr. King’s dream alive, and what we need to do to continue to be a beloved community and become more unified.”

Braxton said there was a “Prayer for our Nation” and humanitarian luncheon following the breakfast. She said there was an excellent turnout for the luncheon with students of all ages and a ”blend of ethnicities”.

The event featured Elder Courtney Sanders as the speaker and, after the luncheon, there was a youth gala at outside the JCPenney store in West Park Mall.