'I Have a Dream' program to be held at Joy Performance Center Jan. 16

The life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. will be the focus of an inspirational evening of song, words and dance at the Joy Performance Center in Kings Mountain. The event will be in observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday on Monday, Jan. 16, 2017 at 6 p.m.
The Rev. Dr. Benjamin Hinton of Tabernacle Baptist Church in Gastonia is scheduled to be the keynote speaker for the event. A Georgia native, Dr. Hinton was licensed to preach in 1982 at the age of 19 and was ordained in 1984 by Friendship Baptist Church in his hometown of Hamilton, Ga. He served as the pastor of Friendship Baptist Church in Toccoa, Ga., for eight years before being called to Gastonia to be the senior pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church.
"Dr. Hinton is a dynamic speaker, and I think the community will really enjoy hearing him," says Kings Mountain Council Member Howard Shipp.
The Tabernacle Baptist Church Choir and Lyrical Dance Group will also perform, and there will be other musical performances, including Kings Mountain resident Shana Adams singing the Lord's Prayer. A special recitation of the Martin Luther King, Jr. "I Have a Dream" speech is also planned, along with special remarks by Mayor Scott Neisler and Council Member Shipp.
Kings Mountain began sponsoring an event honoring Dr. King in 2003, and it was held yearly until the renovation of the Joy Performance Center curtailed the celebration. For two years oratorical and photo contests replaced the annual commemoration service. Last year, with the renovations complete, the event was once again able to be a part of the community observance.
"It is so important that we continue talking about Dr. King and his legacy and his dreams for the future," says Shipp. "We want the dream to continue, and that can only happen if our young people know about him and what he represented. They can then carry those dreams forward to the next generation."
Born in 1929, Martin Luther King, Jr. was a social activist and Baptist minister who was an important leader in the American civil rights movement, which began in the mid-1950s. He sought equality for African Americans via peaceful protests that were inspired by nonviolent activists such as Mahatma Gandhi. His famous "I Have a Dream" speech was delivered during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963. His work helped bring about the passage of important legislation such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, King was assassinated in 1968. His life and legacy are remembered each year on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, which has been a federal holiday since 1986. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year, which is close to King's birthday, Jan. 15.
For more information about the "I Have a Dream" Kings Mountain program, contact Kings Mountain Special Events Coordinator Christy Conner by calling 704-734-2051 or by email at christy.conner@cityofkm.com.

By April Hoyle Shauf

Special to Shelby Shopper & Info