Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Observance Starts In Atlanta

The celebration will culminate Jan. 19, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, with the annual commemorative service at Ebenezer Baptist Church at 10 a.m.

The keynote speaker for that service is Gwendolyn Boyd, president of Alabama State University in Montgomery. David Oyelowo, who plays King in the new movie “Selma,” is slated for a special tribute, and the Rwandan ambassador to the United States, Mathilde Mukantabana, is to give a special greeting.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Voting Rights Act of 1965. It also comes in the wake of the deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson and Eric Garner in New York City. Dr. Martin Luther King’s daughter, the Rev. Bernice King, says the loss of life was tragic but won’t be in vain.

“They have sparked a whole new revolution of how do we really deal with these issues of violence all around us in our life and bring about a whole new just and humane society.”

This year’s 10-day celebration will include a “candid conversation” about the current state of race relations in the U.S. The King Center will also recognize former President Bill Clinton for his work with the Clinton Foundation on Dec. 17.