Locals Celebrate the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is probably the most iconic leader of the Civil Rights movement in the Unitied States. He is famous for his efforts to oppose segregation and racial discrimination through non-violent means.

Monday commemorates his birthday. It’s a national holiday, and the African American Club of Pasco is celebrating it with a 100-yard march and a ceremony.

People will gather at 10:30 a.m. Monday at the Union Missionary Baptist Church, 6235 Pine Hill Road, Port Richey. This is just off Congress St. between Main Street New Port Richey and Ridge Road.

At 10:45 a.m., marchers will begin walking to the African American Club of Pasco’s headquarters at 6105 Pine Hill Road, a short distance from Union Missionary.

The Gulf High School band will play at the African American Club as marchers arrive.

A ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. at the club headquarters. African American Club President Larnelle Scott, New Port Richey Police Chief James Steffens, Pasco County Superintendent Heather Fiorentino and Dr. Michael Miller of Tampa, a motivational speaker from Tampa, will speak briefly, along with others.

There will be music from Union Missionary Baptist Church Choir, the debut of the AAC Youth Choir, and a performance by musician Bonnie Whitehurst.

The AAC Lifetime Achievement Award recipient will be announced.

The ceremony closes at 12:35 p.m.

Occupy New Port Richey and other volunteers will serve food afterward.

King was spokesman during the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955, which protested segregation on public transportation. He led a campaign of nonviolent protests against segregation in Birmingham, “the most segregated city in America,”  in 1963.

During the “March on Washington later that year, he gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, which is credited is with being partly responsible for passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which essentially ended legalized segregation.

From 1955 until his assassination in 1968, he led the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the group he helped found that also fought to end segregation.

This year’s African American Club of Pasco ceremony focuses on King’s role as clergyman, and excepts from his speech "Beyond Vietnam", which was given at Riversde Baptist Church in New York City a year before his assassination. It speaks about how people should speak up and seek justice for victims of war and poverty.