By LORETTA FULTON

Martin Luther King Jr. Day will be observed in various ways Monday, with meals, a march, and a day of service on tap.

The day will kick off with a breakfast at Hardin-Simmons University, followed by a march across the Martin Luther King Jr. Bridge in east Abilene, and concluding with a dinner at the Abilene Convention Center. See details below. 

Also, students and faculty from Abilene Christian University will volunteer at several locations in town. In 1994, Congress passed the King Holiday and Service Act, designating the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday as a national day of service.

Monday, Jan. 16, is the official holiday honoring King, who was born Jan. 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. He was assassinated April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. 

ACU Day of Service
About 50 students and faculty in ACU’s College of Education and Human Services will gather at 8:30 a.m. in the Phillips Education Building and then spread out for service projects. They will volunteer at the AISD Homeless Student Ministry, 5340 Hartford St., Love & Care Ministries, 233 Fannin St., and Christian Service Center, 3185 N. 10th St.

Classes begin Tuesday at ACU, Hardin-Simmons and McMurry universities.

HSU Breakfast
The inaugural Big Country MLK Breakfast will begin at 7 a.m. Monday in HSU’s Mabee Complex. Contact HSU President Eric Bruntmeyer for ticket available. eric.bruntmyer@hsutx.edu. 

Guest speakers will be Demotis Sherman Jr., pastor of Mt. Zion Baptist Church, Delvin Atchinson, pastor of Westside Baptist Church in Lewisville, and Mike Harkrider, pastor of Wylie Baptist Church in Abilene. 

MLK Day March
The public is invited to assemble at 1:30 p.m. in the parking lot of the Carter G. Woodson school, 3424 Cockerell Drive. The march across the MLK Bridge will begin at 2 p.m. Theme is “Let’s Walk together!”

Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Banquet
A dinner honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will begin at 6:30 p.m. Monday in the Abilene Convention Center, 1100 N. Sixth St. 

The annual dinner is sponsored by the Abilene Black Chamber of Commerce. Doors will open at 6 p.m. and the program will begin at 6:30. Theme is “Everybody Can Be Great Because Anybody Can Serve.” 

Guest speaker is Dr. Jena L. Bell, a Globe Award-winning author, coach, game-changing strategist, international speaker, and entrepreneur. She has over 30 years in business, including corporate, nonprofit, and entrepreneurship arenas. Bell is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and is a former CPA.  Get ready to be inspired and motivated with her electrifying style that captivates audiences.

For additional information, including ticket availability, call 325-676-0138 or 325-665-1400 or email 1975abcc@gmail.com.

Loretta Fulton is editor of Spirit of Abilene