In the days leading up to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 15, an array of community events will be held to celebrate the humanitarian and leading figure of the civil-rights movement.

Freeman Hrabowski

The national theme for 2018, which marks the 50th anniversary of King�s assassination, is �Together we win with love and humanity.�

The annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Dinner will be held at 6 p.m. Jan. 17 at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau to close out the week�s activities. Freeman A. Hrabowski, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, will be keynote speaker.

Hrabowski was named by President Barack Obama to chair the President�s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans, according to a statement from Southeast Missouri State University.

A series of citywide events will begin Thursday with the 16th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Extravaganza at 7 p.m. at Franklin Elementary School.

Event organizer Debra Mitchell-Braxton said the musical event began after students and parents successfully petitioned the school board in 1999 to honor the national holiday and the history surrounding it.

The 28th annual community celebration will take place at 6 p.m. Jan. 14 at True Faith Missionary Ministries. Mitchell-Braxton said this event rotates churches each year and will last 75 to 90 minutes. The Apostle Larry T. Barnett Sr. will be the event�s featured speaker.

The national service day Jan. 15 will kick off with the area�s longest standing commemorative event, the 33rd annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Breakfast at the Salvation Army.

�Anybody and everybody is welcome,� Mitchell-Braxton said. �It�s a day of service, so bring something to donate: canned goods, grocery items, school supplies or toiletries. People lose track that it�s a day of giving, to honor the individuals who stood up for equality.�

At 11:30 a.m. Jan. 15 at the same location, the public is welcome to participate in a prayer service for the nation.

Following the prayer service, the 17th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Luncheon Benefit will be begin at noon, also at the Salvation Army. The luncheon will include an award ceremony for outstanding devotion to service. The Dr. C John Ritter Humanitarian Service Award will be presented to recipients who leave their comfort zones to help others, Mitchell-Braxton said. Minister Elida Phifer-Hunter will be speaker at the luncheon. Phifer-Hunter has worked for much of her life as a counselor, educator and humanitarian.

The last community event planned for Jan. 15, Mitchell-Braxton said, will get the youth involved too. The 22nd annual Youth Gala will begin at 4 p.m. at the West Park Mall center court by J.C. Penney. The gala involves students performing musical tributes and is generally well received, Mitchell-Braxton said.

Southeast�s Jan. 17 event celebrating King�s life and legacy will be marking its 27th year. Notable keynote speakers from years past include Mary Frances Berry and John Legend.

Pertinent address:

Show Me Center, Cape Girardeau, Mo.

Franklin Elementary School, Cape Girardeau, Mo.

True Faith Missionary Ministries, Cape Girardeau, Mo.

Salvation Army, Cape Girardeau, Mo.