Today is a federal holiday, marking the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King. Dr. King was a proponent of non-violent activism and today is a day when many people honor him by doing something positive for their community. The holiday was signed into law in 1983 under the presidency of Ronald Reagan. The above photo was taken last year in the morning at the International Civil Rights Museum on South Elm Street. The people in the photo were probably gathering to attend the annual breakfast. This year’s breakfast will feature Dr. Oscar Dowdell-Underwood as guest speaker. He is the author of Bumblebees Can Fly: Empowering Young Men of Color.” It is sponsored by the Human Relations Commission. 

After breakfast this morning, people will gather to prepare for the parade. It will begin at 11:00 am and finish at approximately 2:00 pm. in Southside, a 1.2 mile stretch along Martin Luther King Drive. If you can’t attend the parade, hopefully you will have a chance to do something to celebrate the life and achievements of Dr. King. Greensboro’s connections to the Civil Rights Movement are many.  Dr. King was scheduled to speak in Greensboro on April 5, 1968, the day after he as was assassinated.