Jacksonville area to honor legacy of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

Jacksonville's two main Martin Luther King Jr. Day community breakfasts return this year, with the local NAACP's virtual celebration and the city-sponsored event both taking place Friday.

Other King Day events include parades in Jacksonville and Fernandina Beach and observances at Jacksonville Beach and St. Augustine, where King visited in 1964 to lead a nonviolent campaign against segregation and discrimination.

The civil rights leader was assassinated in 1968 in Memphis.

2022 King Day:Despite divisions, Jacksonville honors Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., pledges to uphold legacy

'Right the wrongs':Messages from 2 Martin Luther King Jr. breakfasts in Jacksonville

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, beginning his last year in office, said the city's Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast honors the "legacy of one of the most influential leaders in history."

"This event provides an opportunity for all ages to join in strengthening community bonds and renew our commitment to Dr. King’s vision of freedom, justice and equality," he said.

Meanwhile, the Jacksonville NAACP's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Virtual Community Empowerment Breakfast honors not only King but the people who pushed for a holiday in his name. King Day became a federal holiday in 1983, a Florida holiday in 1988 and a state government holiday nationwide by 2000.

"In the 1980s there was racial strife in Jacksonville," according to the NAACP. "Establishing a Martin Luther King Holiday nationally and locally became heartfelt battles. Both Black and white citizens came together and decided that a breakfast that pays tribute to the ideals of Martin L. King would help heal wounds and honor the civil rights movement."

The theme of this year's breakfast is "When we fight, we win. The dream lives on." The event will "honor civil rights advocates by highlighting their achievements and commitment to the Jacksonville community," according to the NAACP. "People are speaking out about the fact that people of color, disproportionately African Americans, are negatively impacted by economic, educational, health and law enforcement disparities."

There used to be one main city event observing King Day, but five years ago the NAACP, citing city spending policy differences, decided to have its own. They each call this year their 36th annual event. There have apparently been no talks since about addressing the divide.

Featuring Aramis Ayala and Simon Bailey

The keynote speaker at the NAACP event is Aramis Ayala, a civil rights advocate, former state attorney and assistant professor in the University of Central Florida's department of legal studies.

She was Florida’s first Black state attorney and last year unsuccessfully challenged Republican Attorney General Ashley Moody's re-election bid. She previously served as a homicide, major crimes and special victims unit prosecutor and has been an assistant public defender and adjunct professor of law at Florida A&M University School of Law.

As a state attorney for the 9th Judicial Circuit in Orange and Osceola counties, Ayala said she would not seek the death penalty because of racial inequities in death sentences. Then-Gov. Rick Scott removed her from handling capital cases, with the subsequent backing of the Florida Supreme Court.

She could not be reached for comment.

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The keynote speaker for the city-sponsored event will Simon T. Bailey, an Orange County-based success coach, author, television host and philanthropist. He has about 30 years of experience as a speaker and has worked with about 2,000 companies in 50 different countries, according to his website.

His life's purpose "is to help you discover your brilliance," according to his website. "Every single person has brilliance within them. The problem is that this brilliance often gets buried by society’s rigid rules on how we are allowed to use our talents and abilities. It’s only when we learn to shift our way of thinking that we can find our spark."

Bailey said his topic will be "living the dream — connect, care and contribute."

"It’s a humbling experience to speak on MLK Day. I am honored to share key takeaways on how everyone can individually and collectively make a difference," he said.

Also, the program will recognize the 2023 Tomorrow’s Leaders, students who "exemplify the philosophies of Dr. King through leadership, community volunteerism and civic responsibility," according to the city.

The students wrote an essay based on this King quote: "No work is insignificant. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence." They were asked to write about their dream jobs and how those jobs are "significant and influential to our community," according to the city.

bcravey@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4109

TOMORROW'S LEADERS AWARDS

Elementary

First Place: Jael McBride, fourth grade, Biscayne Elementary

Runner-up: Eric Green, fifth grade, Biscayne Elementary

Middle School

First Place: Desiree Garcia, eighth grade, LaVilla School of the Arts

Runner-up: Sanai Brown, seventh grade, Baldwin Middle Senior High School

Runner-up: Julia Richardson, seventh grade, LaVilla School of the Arts

Runner-up: Jayden Mckevier, sixth grade, Alfred I. Dupont Middle School

High School

First Place: Sofia Marcilese, 11th grade, Douglas Anderson School of the Arts

Runner-up: Madelyn Marcellus, 12th grade, Mandarin High School

2023 MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. EVENTS

Friday

7 a.m. — 36th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast, hosted by city of Jacksonville and sponsored by Florida Blue, at Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center, 1000 Water St., downtown Jacksonville. Program begins at 8 a.m. General admission tickets are $40, corporate tables are $500. Tickets, information: specialevents.coj.net/Special-Events/Martin-Luther-King-Jr-Breakfast.aspx, (904) 255-5422,  events@coj.net.

8 a.m. — 36th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Virtual Community Empowerment Breakfast, hosted by Jacksonville NAACP and sponsored by the Neighborhood Alliance Development Corp. The event will be streamed live on facebook.com/naacpjaxfl, youtube.com/@jacksonvillenaacp1199 or jaxnaacp.org. Information: (904) 265-4702, info@jaxnaacp.org, jaxnaacp.org/event/the-36th-annual-dr-martin-luther-king-jr-community-empowerment-virtual-breakfast.

Saturday

11 a.m. Martin Luther King Day Beaches Celebration, Seawalk Pavilion, 75 First St. N., Jacksonville Beach. Presented by the Rhoda L. Martin Cultural Heritage Center and the three Beaches cities. Information: mslil1230@gmail.com.

Monday

10 a.m. 42nd annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade in downtown Jacksonville, hosted by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Foundation Inc., sponsored by the Law Offices of Ron Sholes. The parade will begin on Water Street near the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, head to Laura and West Adams streets and finish on Lee Street. Information: (904) 240-1523, mlkfdnorg@yahoo.com, mlkfdnorg.com.

10:30 a.m. Silent march through St. Augustine, hosted by the Dr. Martin Luther King Celebration Committee of St. Johns County and led by the Rev. Anthony Britton, from 86 Martin Luther King Ave. to the Plaza de la Constitucion. The march commemorates the King-led marches in St. Augustine during the 1960s civil rights movement in the 1960s. (A commemorative breakfast earlier in the day is sold out). Information: (904) 669-8863.

11 a.m.-4 p.m. 42nd Annual MLK Day Celebration, Ritz Theatre and Museum, 829 N Davis St., Jacksonville. Hosted by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Foundation Inc. and sponsored by the Law Offices of Ron Sholes, the event will feature entertainment, food, vendors, workshops, books, poetry, interactive children's storytelling and live spoken-word performances. Information: (904) 240-1523, mlkfdnorg@yahoo.com, mlkfdnorg.com.

Noon. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade through downtown Fernandina Beach's Ash Street and Centre streets, sponsored by the Elm Street Sportsmen Association. Information: Wayne Peterson at (904) 753-1663.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville plans speakers, parade to honor Martin Luther King Jr.