The 12th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration and Breakfast will be held at 9 a.m. Monday, Jan. 15, at the Martin Event Center inside the Martin Public Library.
Tickets are available for purchase through Eventbrite.com or through the city of Martin Facebook Events page. General admission individual seats are $12.50 each, while a table for eight can be reserved for $90.
Begun in 2013, this is a Town and Gown Association event that brings the Martin civic community and the University of Tennessee at Martin together to celebrate and honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The public is invited to attend the event that includes celebration, food, music and fellowship. The event’s sponsors are the city of Martin, UT Martin and the UTM Black Student Association.
Dr. Mark McCloud, vice chancellor of diversity and inclusion, will serve as the program’s master of ceremonies. Chancellor Yancy Freeman, Black Student Association President Terriann Ray, a sophomore health and human performance major from Paris, and Martin Mayor Randy Brundige will give words of welcome to the audience.
The keynote speaker this year will be UT Martin student Mmachukwu “Favour” Osisioma, a sophomore English major from Medina. There will also be a presentation about the Black history of Martin presented by Johnny Shanklin.
During the program, attendees will also enjoy piano music from Dr. Danny Donaldson and a vocal performance from Slade Robertson, a senior music major from Steele, Missouri.
Three awards will be presented during the celebration: The Alpha Award, The Torch Award and the City of Martin Harold Connor Award.
The Alpha Award is given to a UT Martin faculty member and a student in memory of King, who was an Alpha Pi Alpha Fraternity Inc. member. The award recognizes those who have demonstrated leadership on campus in the area of civil rights.
The Torch Award is given by the Black Student Association and honors people who are symbolically “carrying the torch” as a leader in civil rights.
The City of Martin Harold Conner Award recognizes longtime leadership, service and dedication to the community and is named for the Rev. Harold Conner, the first African-American administrator employed by UT Martin after the university was desegregated.
Guests may access the Martin Event Center through the main entrance of the Martin Public Library at 410 S. Lindell St. The doors will open at 8:30 a.m. Public parking is available in downtown Martin.
Those needing help with registration should go to Martin City Hall. Information regarding a cancellation would be posted on the City of Martin website at cityofmartin.net and City of Martin social media accounts. Tickets will only be refunded in the event of a cancellation.
Photo: Dr. Mark McCloud, vice chancellor or diversity and inclusion, shown serving as the master of ceremonies at the 2023 Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration and Breakfast, will reprise that role at this year’s event, to be held Jan. 15 at the Martin Event Center.
