East Texans Honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

EAST TEXAS — East Texans observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday. The Tyler Together Race Relations Forum presented the 31st Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Interfaith Community Program. This year’s theme was “The Time is Always Ripe to do What’s Right.” The downtown event featured a short program, a march, and an interfaith service. The keynote speaker, popular chef Kevin Belton, said honoring Dr. King means getting to know people who are different from you. Belton told KTBB, “I just want everybody to take the time to get to know their neighbor — know something about someone else… that speaks a different language or from a different culture — learn something about them.” He said another good idea is to share a meal with family and friends.

Also at the Tyler celebration, Dr. Jeannette Calhoun was presented with the Rev. Jerome R. Milton Award for Non-Violent Social Change. Calhoun is executive director of the East Texas Cares Resource Center, which works with people affected by HIV/AIDS and their families. Rev. Milton initiated the annual MLK celebration in 1987 and remains connected to the event; it has been organized by Tyler Together for the past several years.

Longview’s celebration began with the Table of Brotherhood Breakfast at the Jalapeno Tree. It continued with the MLK March down MLK Blvd., a Memorial Service at Mt. Olive Baptist Church featuring guest speaker Rev. LaDarian Brown, and the MLK Music Showcase at Maude Cobb Activity Center.