Martin Luther King, Jr., celebrations coming this weekend

DAYTONA BEACH — As the Jan. 15 birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. approaches, a flurry of activities are planned for this weekend's commemorations for the iconic civil rights leader.

Across Volusia and Flagler counties, there will be a multi-day celebration of marches, prayer breakfasts and other events to honor the Baptist minister and activist who became one of the most prominent leaders in America's civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968.

Here's a roundup of some local events being held to remember the man who packed his 39 years with a long and revered list of achievements.

Daytona Beach's Martin Luther King, Jr., celebrations

In Daytona Beach, street pole banners honoring the life and legacy of King are already adorning International Speedway Boulevard from Nova Road to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The banners, which feature seven of King's powerful quotes, will be displayed throughout January.

At 8 a.m. Monday, a prayer breakfast will begin at the Julia T. and Charles W. Cherry Sr. Cultural & Educational Center, located at 925 George W. Engram Blvd.

Then at 9:45 a.m. Monday, Daytona Beach's annual Martin Luther King Jr. march will begin outside the cultural and educational center located on the north end of the Midtown neighborhood.

Interesting Daytona Beach history:Martin Luther King Jr.'s ties to Daytona endure more than 50 years after his death

Read more:Honoring MLK: Residents, community leaders gather to rally in support of voting rights

Related coverage:Speaker: MLK Day a time to embrace values civil-rights advocate promoted

One Daytona Beach event this weekend will honor another civil rights pioneer. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. Sunday for a program to tell the story of how a marble statue of Mary McLeod Bethune made it into National Statuary Hall in Washington, D.C.

The event focused on Bethune, who died the year King was rising to prominence, will be held at the Mary McLeod Bethune Performing Arts Center, located at 698 W. International Speedway Blvd.

Other Volusia and Flagler King events

Bunnell will hold its King events Saturday. The small Flagler County town will begin its celebration at 9 a.m. Saturday at the George W. Carver Community Center, located at 201 E. Drain St.

A prayer breakfast will begin at 10 a.m. Then at 11 a.m., vehicles will begin lining up for the noon "motor march."

Also Saturday, the Deltona Dream Keepers and the African American Association of Deltona will hold its annual luncheon celebration to honor King. The event will be held from noon to 2 p.m. at The Center At Deltona, located at 1640 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Deltona.

Former Volusia County Councilwoman Barb Girtman will help lead the event. The keynote speaker will be Deltona native Bradley Pough, a graduate of Yale University and Harvard Law School.

Pough is currently serving as the assistant director for policy in the office of Vice President Kamala Harris.

Martin Luther King Jr. in Florida: Where he stayed, where he spoke, and where he was shot at

In Palm Coast, an ecumenical celebration will begin at 11 a.m. Monday. The event will be held at Mount Calvary Baptist Church of Palm Coast, located at 75 Pine Lakes Parkway.

Circuit Judge Joan Anthony will be the keynote speaker at the Palm Coast celebration of King. All attendees are requested to wear masks.

The program will also be livestreamed and can be seen at mtcalvarypc.org/livestream.

DeLand and Stetson go big for King Day

In DeLand, the King festivities will kick off with the annual breakfast Monday at Stetson University’s Hollis Center in Rinker Fieldhouse. Doors open at 8:45 a.m., and the breakfast event will run from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

The morning program will feature performances and speakers who will share their views on King’s legacy and the future of the community. The keynote speaker will be Stetson University President Christopher Roellke.

DeLand's annual King march will be held from 11:15 a.m. to noon Monday, and walkers will march from the DeLand Museum of Art to Earl Brown Park. From noon to 3 p.m., there will be a business expo at Earl Brown Park where people can learn about local nonprofits and businesses, enjoy games and more. The event is free and open to the public.

There will be more events later in the week as well. On Thursday Jan. 19, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Life and Legacy Celebration will be held in the Stetson Room. The keynote speaker will be Professor Rajni Shankar-Brown, the Jessie Ball DuPont Endowed Chair of Social Justice Education.

On Sat. Jan. 21 there will be an MLK Day of Service from 9 a.m. to noon. The event will be held at Habitat for Humanity, 2743 Pine Tree Road in DeLand.

Stetson students and community volunteers will help Habitat for Humanity build a home for a local family. No experience is necessary. Training will be provided.

Monday's breakfast is free for Stetson students, faculty and staff, but they'll need tickets since seating is limited. To access a form to get tickets, visit: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfg-HiErwO3gvU9rme5GJ1Bsy578QjYsKEtxjRnH9a6qwj1Q/viewform .

For other DeLand event details visit https://www.stetson.edu/other/community-engagement/mlk.php.

You can reach Eileen at Eileen.Zaffiro@news-jrnl.com

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Martin Luther King, Jr., Day will be celebrated across Volusia County