MLK Weekend Events Set Around Wheeling
Alan Olson Trending
WHEELING - Events to commemorate the upcoming Martin Luther King Jr. weekend in Wheeling in January have been announced, and they emphasize "whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly."
The Rev. Kenneth Hardway, co-chair of MLK Committee and pastor of the First Christian Church, explained the theme for local MLK celebrations this year is based on a noted quote from King.
That quote is: "Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality."
Hardway noted there will be a couple of different events set for the weekend, though "much of it will look the same in terms of schedule," he added.
- The commemoration of King's life begins at noon on Tuesday, Jan 9, at the Ohio County Public Library. A "Lunch with Books" event with Cory Campanizzi will feature discussion on "Creative Maladjustment Revisited: Emerging Practices in the Psychology of Sustainability and Environmental Justice."
- At 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 12, there will be a Shabbat Service at Temple Shalom, 23 Bethany Pike, Wheeling.
- From 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 13, a student/community dialogue in the Troy Theatre at Wheeling University, 316 Washington Ave., Wheeling. Later in the day, the Ohio Valley Festival for Filmmakers of Color will take place at 7 p.m. in the Troy Lounge.
- The MLK March is set to begin at 2:15 p.m. Sunday at the Windmill, 470 Stone Blvd, Wheeling, and continue to West Virginia Northern Community College, 1704 Market St, Wheeling. An awards ceremony and banquet follows at 3 p.m. at WVNCC.
- Later on Sunday, an Interfaith Worship Service is set for 6 p.m. at Wayman AME Church, 1136 Eoff St., Wheeling.
- At 9 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 15, an MLK breakfast and awards event will take place at Laughlin Chapel, 129 18th St., Wheeling. Programming for Children will follow at 10:30 a.m.
"I love it that the city puts together these events to honor Martin Luther King," Hardway said. "(The ideas put forth) are bigger than the person, and it's important to remember the struggle for human rights, the value and worth of all people - especially in this time.
"We have to remember there are more things that unite us, while considering civil rights, unity and the dignity of every human being. Participating in these events helps us to recall the importance of the movement not only in its own time, but also as it continues in our time."
Hardway and MLK Committee Chair Ron Scott Jr., YWCA Wheeling culture and diversity director, invite the community to attend the events. All are free, but a $5 donation is suggested for the dinner that follows the MLK March on Sunday, Jan. 14.
For information about any event, contact Scott at 304-232-0511, or Hardway at 304-242-1520.