Remembering MLK Jr.: Downtown Newnan parade set for today
By SARAH FAY CAMPBELL
sarah@newnan.com
The legacy of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was celebrated Friday night at the annual community memorial program, held at Zion Hill Baptist Church in Newnan.
The celebration continues today with the 26th annual Newnan parade.
Members of the community are invited to head back to Newnan High after the parade, where refreshments will be served.
The annual MLK celebration is put on by Newnan Chapter 483, Order of the Eastern Star.
This year's theme is Standing Firm, Holding Fast, Projecting the Keys of Service.
The grand marshals of the parade will be three local students, the winners of an essay contest. It's the 50th anniversary of Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech, and students were invited to write an essay on what King's speech means to them. One winner was chosen in each age category: third through fifth grade, middle school, and high school.
Past Worthy Matron Janice Walton said that the chapter used to host an essay contest years ago, and decided to start it up again this year.
"We decided that we wanted to… try to involve the young people in it more," she said. "Because they will have to be the ones to carry it on one day."
(To view photos from Friday night's event, please visit http://photos.times-herald.com/mycapture/index.asp and click on Events for the Photo Gallery.)
