Annual MLK celebration to honor Congresswoman Katie Hall

Jan. 4—ANDERSON — Former Indiana Rep. Katie Hall will be honored during the city of Anderson's annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration.

The Anderson event honoring the slain civil rights leader has been taking place for 44 years.

The event is set for Jan. 15 at the Paramount Theatre starting at noon.

The Anderson celebration is one of the oldest and longest taking place in the state of Indiana.

Tamie Dixon-Tatum has been organizing the event for the past nine years and said she didn't know the important role Hall played in having the national holiday resolution pass.

Dixon-Tatum said Hall was the first Black woman to serve from Indiana in the U.S. House.

Hall was elected in 1982 to complete the term of Adam Benjamin Jr. and was a driving force in having the resolution declaring Dr. King's birthday a national holiday.

She lost in the 1984 primary election, but in 1983 was present when former President Ronald Reagan signed the resolution.

Dixon-Tatum said the Madison County Visitor's Bureau is paying for a memorial postcard to be distributed to everyone in attendance.

She said the postcard includes pictures of Hall, Coretta Scott King and Reagan.

There will be two video presentations of Reagan signing the proclamation and on Hall's career in Congress.

Dixon-Tatum said that, weather permitting, Hall's daughter Junifer will be in attendance at the ceremony.

Dr. Gina Forrest with ASPIRE is the keynote speaker.

Christine Brown's Anderson Elementary students will be performing skits and a recital.

Culinary students at the Anderson D26 vocational school will be catering the meal for the reception which was paid for by the Anderson Federation of Teachers, Community Hospital and Ivy Tech Community College.

Pastor Mark Johnson with the Mercy Road Church will be the master of ceremonies.

As has been a tradition at the celebration students from Anderson University will be presenting flags from countries around the world.

Follow Ken de la Bastide on Twitter @KendelaBastide, or call 765-640-4863.