The annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration will be held at noon today at the MLK Jr. Center, 300 MLK Boulevard, with Dr. Naomi Lede delivering the keynote address.
The theme this year is “Beyond the Dream: Impact of the New Vision.”
The anniversary of King’s birthday was Thursday.
“It is always a wonderful time to come together and share in the remembrance of the message of Dr. King,” said program chair Elaine Smith. “Dr. King was a drum major for justice who gave of himself to accept the leadership role in a non-violent movement to fight for the rights of those oppressed within this society.
“Dr King’s dream was rooted in the American dream and now Americans, all Americans, do have the opportunity to live out that Americam dream.”
Smith said “Dr. King championed a movement that believed in America’s potential for freedom, opportunity and justice.”
“His vision captured the hope and possibility for a future anchored in dignity, sensitivity and mutual respect,” Smith said. “It is a message that challenges each of us to recognize that America’s true strength lies in its diversity of talents.
“The essence of Dr. King’s message affirms the commanding tenets of the American dream — Freedom, Democracy and Opportunity for All.”
Lede is native of Huntsville, who retired from a tenured position as chairperson of the Department of Transportation Studies and Distinguished Professor at Texas Southern University in 1997.
She is currently a senior research scientist at the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M; University.
Lede currently serves as the president of the Samuel Walker Houston Cultural Center and Museum in Huntsville and is a weekly columnist for The Huntsville Item.
