MLK Jr. Celebration and Breakfast set for Jan. 16 in Martin

HONORING THOSE WHO SERVE – Martin Mayor Randy Brundige (left) presents Dr. Danny Donaldson with the City of Martin Harold Conner Award during the 2019 Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration and Breakfast. Donaldson – a Martin optometrist, current president of the UT Martin Alumni Council and noted local pianist – will perform at the event. Award presentations, including the 2023 Conner Award presented by Brundige, will also be part of the event set for 9 a.m., Jan. 16, in the Martin Event Center. The public is invited, and tickets are available through Eventbrite.[/caption]

MARTIN, Tenn. – Dr. Logan Hampton, president of Lane College in Jackson, will be the keynote speaker for the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration and Breakfast set for 9 a.m., Monday, Jan. 16, in the Martin Event Center located in the Martin Public Library. The event is sponsored by the city of Martin, the University of Tennessee at Martin and the university’s Black Student Association. Tickets include entry to the celebration and a buffet breakfast starting at 8:30 and can be purchased through Eventbrite or through the City of Martin Facebook Events page. The event is open to the public.

The event, first held in 2013, brings together the community and university to celebrate and honor the legacy of slain civil rights movement leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and to raise awareness for sharing vision and purpose for the future. Kameron Echols, UT Martin interim assistant director of multicultural affairs and an event organizer, said the celebration brings people together for a higher purpose.

“I think it’s important because we continue to want to strive and to impress on the city and our students at the university the importance of diversity and understanding different perspectives,” Echols said. “This is one of those events that really brings together the campus community and our city officials and Martin citizens … to really talk about living with a purpose and seeing how Dr. Martin Luther King’s life and his vision and his goals for America have played a part in our daily lives.”

In addition to Hampton’s remarks, the event will include a special vocal performance by Mykia Campbell, an administrative associate in the UT Martin Department of Music, and the presentation of three awards. These include the Alpha Award, presented in memory of King who was an Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. member; the Torch Award presented by the Black Student Association; and the City of Martin Harold Conner Award presented by Martin Mayor Randy Brundige.

Public parking will be available in downtown Martin, and guests can enter through the main entrance of the Martin Public Library at 410 South Lindell Street. Tickets purchased through Eventbrite should be printed and presented in the lobby upon arrival or available on the ticketholder’s smart phone. Assistance with registration is available at Martin City Hall. Refunds are available only if the event is canceled because of inclement weather.