ADVERTISEMENT

    Julian Bond to Speak at MLK Day Celebration

    The City of Columbus Community Relations Committee will be holding the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration Monday afternoon. This year’s breakfast, march and ceremony will feature a different route from years past and remarks by politician, activist and Civil Rights legend Julian Bond.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Lourdes Barroso de Padilla, who is working with the city to produce the day’s events, said that instead of starting at City Hall and proceeding to the Veterans Memorial as it has in previous yeas, Monday’s march will start with an open house at the King Arts Complex from noon to 4 pm. From the King Arts Complex, the march will travel along Mt. Vernon Ave, Spring Street, and turn down Long Street past the Cultural Wall, finishing at the Lincoln Theater.

    Barroso de Padilla said part of the reason for the change in route was so that the march could go through a historically black community, bringing “another layer of richness to the march and the celebration and what it means for this community.”

    Attendees to the Lincoln Theater will hear remarks by Mayor Michael Coleman and City Council President Andrew Ginther, but the keynote address will be delivered by Julian Bond.

    “It’s going to be kind of a reflection on the past and how far the civil rights movement has come but then also how far we have to go,” said Barroso de Padilla of Bond’s speech.

    Bond was both a member the Georgia House of Representatives and a Georgia state senator, but made history as a co-founder of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC or “snick”) and as the first president of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Bond was also president of the NAACP for 12 years.

    Barroso de Padilla said one of the themes of the celebration will be “broadening the scope of civil rights and what that means.”

    “Martin Luther King’s vision was really civil rights for all,” said Barroso de Padilla. “He was a promoter of civil rights across the board and so that’s really the interpretation that we’re trying to move towards.”

    For more information, visit www.eventbrite.com.

    mlk-day

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Subscribe

    More to Explore:

    The Confluence Cast: Grave Matters – Unearthing the North Graveyard

    There is often a complex interplay between preservation and progress. A year into his exploration, Columbus Underground reporter Jesse Bethea continues to sift through the story of how the removal of remains from what was once the North Market parking lot unfolded. From the contentious removal of centuries-old graves to the forensic analysis of unearthed remains, today’s episode navigates the ethical, legal, and emotional complexities surrounding the issue.  In the quest to honor the past while embracing the future, we examine what lies beneath the surface of urban development and confront the ghosts of history that still shape our city today.

    Kayaking Columbus: Treat Cold Water With Respect

    Welcome to Kayaking Columbus, a recurring column by CU freelance...

    Green Columbus, American Forests Release Tree Equity Tool

    By any metric, the tree cover over Columbus is...

    Kayaking Columbus: A Prairie Oaks Companion

    Welcome to Kayaking Columbus, a recurring column by CU...

    City Passes Stronger Tree Protections

    Columbus City Council voted unanimously on December 11 to...
    Jesse Bethea
    Jesse Betheahttps://columbusunderground.com
    Jesse Bethea is a freelance features writer at Columbus Underground covering neighborhood issues, economics, science, technology and other topics. He is a graduate from Ohio University, a native of Fairfax, Virginia and a fan of movies, politics and baseball. Jesse is the winner of The Great Novel Contest and the author of Fellow Travellers, available now at all major retailers.
    ADVERTISEMENT