Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Rally, guest speakers, Selma walk among Monday’s celebrations.
CLOVIS — There will be no shortage of events around eastern New Mexico on Monday for those wishing to celebrate the national holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr.
The festivities get underway in Portales at 7 a.m. with a kick-off breakfast at ENMU sponsored by University President Jeff Elwell before gathering at the Memorial Building at 5:30 p.m. and walking to Portales High School for a program that will feature musical performances and a reading of King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech.
Meanwhile in Clovis a symbolic walk is scheduled to start at Potter’s Park at 9 a.m. and make it’s way to First Church of God in Christ for a rally that will include a choir performance and remarks from guest speaker Pastor Perry L. Johnson Sr. from Shekinah House of Praise.
“Our theme is Dr. King, his voice, his teachings and his humanity for men so that will be the subject,” Clovis Martin Luther King Jr. Commission President Joyce Pollard said. “(Johnson) will be speaking on basically the philosophies of Dr. King and what he stood for and how we’re striving to be more like Dr. King as both peace-makers and peace-keepers.”
Chairman of the City of Portales Cultural Affairs Committee Oscar Robinson said the annual events are important for reinforcing the principles of diversity.
“What we’re trying to promote is togetherness and unity,” Robinson said. “When we walk down the street it’s symbolic of the Selma walk and a symbolic gesture to continue that dream and make sure people in our community still recognize the diversity of our community and the country.”
This marks the first year Portales has incorporated a breakfast into the day’s events, something that Elwell suggested and insisted on sponsoring, Robinson said.
“It’s just part of Dr. Elwell’s spontaneous ministry,” Robinson said.
Pollard said some people mistake the events in King’s honor as being solely directed toward African Americans, but rather they seek to bring all walks of life together.
“If we can get our youth to think that way, they can see now that we’re all the same, just skin colors and cultures are different, but basically we’re more alike then we are different.” Pollard said.
Robinson said both ceremonies will have a special guest as Leonard Waites, the executive director of the state’s Martin Luther King Jr. Commission, will be in attendance.
