Martin Luther King Breakfast
BRUCE BRANUM
The Greenville Standard
On Monday, Jan. 15, the Butler County Civic League hosted their annual Martin Luther King Freedom Breakfast event at Dunbar Recreation Center. Honorable attendees included Butler County commissioners Greenville Police Chief, Circuit Clerk, Butler County Sheriff, district judges, mayors of Georgiana, McKenzie and Greenville and state representatives Chris Sells and Hank Sanders. Georgiana Police Chief Carlton Cook was the keynote speaker and delivered a stirring address to the crowd. His message centered on service to others, which was one of the hallmarks of Dr. Martin Luther King legacy. In part of his address he said, “Thank you for coming. I am honored you came here today. It is indeed a humbling day to say thank you to one of the greatest servants in the history of mankind. I feel truly privileged to embrace our history and honor a great man who served his people and his country, a person who believed that injustice anywhere is a threat everywhere. He stood tall for his people, his family, his community and the world. His legacy left us a sincere challenge to live a life of service to the community and the world. Each of us should take the opportunity to ask ourselves how we are contributing to our community.” Over 500 adults attended the event with over 100 students also attending. Many played a part in serving breakfast to all the attendees including 33 JROTC cadets. Martin Luther King Jr. was a Baptist minister and social activist who played a key role in the American Civil Rights Movement from the mid 1950’ until his assassination in 1968. He was the driving force behind the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the march on Washington, DC, which helped bring about the Civil rights act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Acts of 1965. King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 and is remembered each year on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a US federal holiday. King was born on Jan. 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Ga. and was assassinated on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tenn.
