Events honor memory of civil rights leaders

The third Monday of January is reserved to honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It's an active holiday in Cape Girardeau for programs, celebrations and other events.

Debra Mitchell-Braxton, director of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Citywide Celebration Committee, said this year's events will honor not only King's memory, but the memory of the other leaders and participants in the civil-rights movement.

"We take this time to honor those that marched and those that lost their lives to defend our civil rights," she said. "We want to ensure that we say thank you. And we also want to reach out to those in need -- to encourage people, mentor people and engage people."

While the bulk of the events are scheduled for Monday, the first -- a birthday celebration -- took place last night at Franklin Elementary School. King's birthday is today.

Next up is the Dr. Martin Luther King Community Celebration at St. James AME Church, which will take place at 6 p.m. Sunday.

Several events are planned for the holiday itself. The day begins with a memorial breakfast at 8 a.m. at the Salvation Army in Cape Girardeau.

A prayer service for the nation will be at 11:30 a.m., also at the Salvation Army, followed by the 15th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Luncheon Benefit at noon.

Then at 4 p.m., the 20th annual Youth Gala will take place at West Park Mall.

One last opportunity to honor King will be Southeast Missouri State University's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Dinner, which will be at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

Because local organizers have planned a variety of events, the holiday has been made accessible to more people. We encourage everyone to take some time to remember the role of King and the civil rights movement in our nation's history.