A pair of services remembering the life and legacy of slain civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will be held this Monday in Gloucester and next Sunday, Jan. 21 in Mathews.
In Gloucester
Gloucester Union Relief Association of Missionary Baptist will hold its annual MLK observance on King Day, Monday, Jan. 15, beginning at 2 p.m. at the First United Baptist Church, White Marsh.
Cardiologist Dr. Keith Newby of Sentara Health Services, Norfolk, will be the program’s speaker. Shirley Cooper of King and Queen will give an overview of King’s life.
The Rev. Larry Arrington of First Morning Star Baptist Church, Bena, is the event chairperson and committee members are the Rev. James Harris of Bethel Baptist Church and Maxine Trower of the First United Baptist Church.
In Mathews
The Mathews NAACP will hold its annual event in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Sunday, Jan. 21, beginning at 3 p.m. at Ebenezer Baptist Church, 3601 Buckley Hall Road, Cobbs Creek.
Danita Rountree Green will give the keynote address. Green is co-founder and executive director of Coming Together Virginia, a nonprofit committed to racial healing and reparative justice. Based in Richmond, Green facilitates the conversation on race and the legacy of the American Slave Trade.
The Gloucester Mathews Men’s Chorus will perform musical selections. The Rev. Eric Robinson, pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, will be the worship leader.
For more information, contact Edith Turner at mathewsnaacp@gmail.com.
In Essex County
The 35th annual Essex County Community Celebration of the Life and Work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will be held on at 7 p.m. Monday at Angel Visit Baptist Church, Dunnsville.
The Rev. Keith L. Parham, former pastor of the First Baptist Church of Hockley, Shacklefords, will be the preacher for this worship service. The Southside Rappahannock Baptist Association Choir under the direction of Marcellus Dungee will provide the music.
The public is invited to share in this period of remembrance and commemoration of the legacy of Dr. King. One may join the celebration in person, by video conference, or by telephone dial-in. Email AngelVisitBaptistChurch@gmail.com or call 804-443-5977 to get the Zoom link or dial-in number, or for more information.
EDITOR’S NOTE: A previous notice of the upcoming program in Mathews incorrectly stated that it would be held on Jan. 14. The incorrect information had been provided to the paper.
