More than 1,200 people are expected to gather this Monday at the Benton Convention Center to commemorate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Wake Forest graduates and current students play lead roles in the 21st annual celebration, one of the largest in North Carolina.
Mutter Evans, a 1975 Wake Forest University graduate, founded the event in 1981, five years before King’s birthday was celebrated as a national holiday. Evans, owner of WAAA radio, was heavily involved in local lobbying for the observance of a national holiday in King’s memory.
“It occurred to me that it doesn’t make sense that a community of this size doesn’t celebrate his birthday,” she said. “So I decided we weren’t going to wait any longer.”
The keynote speaker at this year’s program will be the Rev. Archie D. Logan, a 1972 Wake Forest graduate. Logan is the executive secretary-treasurer of the General Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. He will speak on the theme, “Democracy = Freedom: The Right to Vote.”
The Wake Forest University Gospel Choir will be the featured musical guest. Marcus Ingram, a 2000 Wake Forest graduate, directs the choir.
For more information, please contact Mutter Evans at 767-0430.
Categories: Arts & Culture, Events, University Announcement
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