MARTIN LUTHER KING CELEBRATION IS PLANNED AS COMMUNITY EVENT

The third annual Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration will be held Friday at the First Baptist Church, 926 Broadway.

The service begins at 7 p.m. and is open to the community.

"While one part is to celebrate the person Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.," said Andrew Pratt of the Baptist Student Center, "the other aspect is to focus on the kind of citizenship and qualities Dr. King spoke about -- especially equality for all Americans and the qualities of peace, justice and non-violent improvement for our society.

"We really want the service to serve as an opportunity to bring the black and white community together," he said.

Guest speaker is the Rev. Solomon Williams, national chairman of the General Council of Pastors and Elders of the Church of God in Christ Inc. He is also pastor of New Jerusalem Church of God in Christ in St. Louis, and is president of both the St. Louis Minority Business Forum and the Missouri Black Leadership Association.

"He is a national and international leader in the Church of God in Christ," Pratt said. "It's a really significant thing for him to come to Cape Girardeau."

Also during the ceremony will be the presentation of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award. The award is presented annually to a person in Cape Girardeau who exemplifies the qualities of King and who has been active in bringing peace and justice to the community.

Nomination forms are sent to churches and civic groups. "We ask them to nominate people they feel have worked to build the community, to work for peace and justice and to build good race relations," said Pratt.

"It's not really for famous people; it's for the quiet people who have really served the community," Pratt said.

The award recipient will receive a plaque. The award winner's name will also be engraved on a plaque that hangs in the public library.

The community celebration features a children's choir combining students from Cape Girardeau's public elementary schools; a message to children from Carol Keeler of KZIM radio; and a plea for community involvement from the executive board of the local National Association for the Advancement of Colored People chapter. The choir from Futrell Temple Church of God in Christ in Cape Girardeau will also perform.

An offering will be taken with the receipts going to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship at Southeast Missouri State University.

The event is co-sponsored by the local chapter of the NAACP and the Southeast Missouri Fellowship of Reconciliation.

Financial sponsors of the service include Christ Episcopal Church, Bill's Pharmacy, Credit Bureau Services, Erb Equipment, Port Cape Girardeau, Mercantile Bank, Capital Bank, Farm and Home Savings and Drury Inn.

A nursery will be provided for children ages 4 and under. A reception will be held at the church following the service.