Martin Luther King Jr. Day is Monday. How to honor the civil rights leader
With Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, several events in York, Fort Mill and Rock Hill are planned to honor the memory of the civil rights leader. Some celebrations will be in-person while others are virtual due to the coronavirus pandemic.
There are prayer breakfasts, parades, donation drives and even opportunities for free vaccinations and COVID-19 testing.
Here’s our list of events:
Western York Martin Luther King Parade
South Carolina’s longest running MLK Day parade will return for it’s 41st year. Organized by the Western York NAACP, this year’s parade will be held Saturday, Jan. 15. at 1 p.m. in York.
The parade will run from E. Madison and Congress St., ending at Jefferson Field with vendors and performances by the bands and drumlines. The parade will be led by someone special: 104-year-old York County resident Josie Guthrie.
The renowned South Carolina State University Marching 101 will participate as well as many other local high school and college bands and drum lines. Following the parade, there will be a celebration on the Jefferson Field. This celeberation will include a presentation from the Rock Hill National Pan-Hellenic Council and performances by local dance teams and bands.
York School District 1 also will be present, hosting a job fair.
There also will be free COVID-19 Testing, vaccinations, and Information for the public.
Note: This event is following strict COVID-19 protocol. The public and participants are required to wear masks and follow social distancing guidelines.
Fort Mill’s MLK Call to Service
The Town of Fort Mill will host its annual MLK Call to Service Day on Monday. The town has asked for donations for seven organizations. Donations can be made from 8 a.m. to noon on Monday at 200 Tom Hall St., Fort Mill.
Here are the organizations and what they need:
- Adult Enrichment Center/Renew Memory Care: Gift cards to Lowe’s or Walmart for supplies for patients with Dementa
- Bethel Men’s Shelter: Men’s sweatshirts and sweatpants (all sizes), new or gently used mens sneakers.
- Classroom Ready: New, high-quality, full-size backpacks
- Fort Mill Care Center: Cereal, oat meal, grits, pancake mix and syrup, peanut butter, jelly, granola bars
- Historic Paradise Foundation: Gift cards to Walmart to buy supplies for their afterschool program
- Palmetto Women’s Center: Diapers: Size 1 and larger; baby wipes
- York County Council on Aging: Washing detergent, dish washing liquid, jackets, scarves
United Men’s Club of Clover MLK Prayer Luncheon
The United Men’s Club of Clover will host their third annual MLK Prayer Luncheon. The event will take place at Kinard Elementary School, 201 Pressley St. in Clover. Officials say the event will be at noon. It will include an appetizing lunch, “a soul touching artistic expression or two,” and remarks “to elevate our spirits and push us forward as we continue the works of Dr. King.”
Jr. Interfaith Prayer Breakfast
The City of Rock Hill Community Relations 19th annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Interfaith Prayer Breakfast will be online this year.
There will be a live stream of remarks and performances beginning at 9 a.m. Monday. This year’s theme is “Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos of Community.”
You can watch live at www.cityofrockhill.com/MLK, Facebook Live @crcrockhill, and Comporium City Channel 19 or 115. The video also will be available to watch online following the live stream.
The keynote speaker will be Dr. Lester A. McCorn, is a leader, scholar, author, activist and 13th President of Clinton College. Rock Hill’s Youth Poet Laureate, Alexandra Aradas, will perform along with members of the MLK Choir.
High school essay contest winners will read excerpts from their essays, and the Dream Keeper Award winner will be honored. This award recognizes exemplary displays of committed service to the tenets of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Visit www.cityofrockhill.com/MLK to view the event program, keynote speaker bio, as well as view the livestream.
Winthrop University 10-day Service Challenge
Winthrop University will celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a 10-day service challenge, starting from Jan. 17-27. Students were asked to register for the challenge on Eagle Impact a https://winthropstudents.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9MHfTp66Wrx8bFc.
The service projects include gardening, tree planting, care package assembling, food donation sorting, playground refreshing and more. For instance, on Jan. 17, weather permitting, there are Office of Sustainability service projects and chances to volunteer at the local homeless agency, Pilgrims’ Inn.
Also on Jan. 17, the Xi Phi Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity will hold a vigil at 7:06 p.m. in Dina’s Place in the DiGiorgio Campus Center. The time for the event signifies when King died.
This year Winthrop is asking students to participate in a service challenge, so rather than only serving one day, organizers want to create a culture of service. Students will be challenged to see how many hours they can serve between Jan. 17-27.
Prizes will be given throughout the week to keep everyone motivated to serve, Civic Engagement Coordinator Jessica Martin said. The organization and individual who completes the most service hours during the 10 days will be recognized at the MLK Reflection lunch on Jan. 28.
“This event is a good reminder of what we can accomplish together,” Martin said. “Even with the pandemic, we are still able to pull together to help others who need our assistance.”
To follow Winthrop’s MLK activities on social media, search for #MLKServiceWeek2022.
The community service event is coordinated by Winthrop’s MLK Committee, which includes members from Residence Life, Student Engagement, Sustainability, Office of Accessibility, Greek Life, S.O.A.R. and students.
This story was originally published January 13, 2022 at 10:26 AM.
