Praising a King: Lubbockites gather to worship God, celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. in citywide service
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Lubbockites joined in song, praise and moments of reflection to celebrate the life and legacy of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. during a host of events ahead of the MLK Day federal holiday Monday.
As part of its four-day celebration, the Martin Luther King Commemorative Council of Lubbock has been hosting four days of events, including a youth night Saturday evening and citywide service Sunday evening at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center.
Throughout the Sunday evening event, speakers including Lubbock City Councilwoman Shelia Patterson Harris and keynote speaker Pastor Kenneth Jackson of Lewisville shared messages of praise and the continued need to seek equality in our nation.
"We leave here to pay tribute - we don't leave here to pay tribute - but we come to pay tribute that our love, our actions, our very being would be a tribute to Dr. King and the one who sent Dr. King, God himself," George Love Jr. said, offering the occasion and tribute at the citywide service.
The council also hosted its annual Individuals of Distinction awards banquet Friday evening at the civic center, honoring Natalie Anderson, Coach William Blaylock, Katrina Milton-White, Pastor Ray Travenia, Jay and Tammy Reed and Pastor Larry Polk, and awarding the $500 Joan Y. Ervin Scholarships to Abigail Kempf, Areyah Fitch and Halima White.
The MLK Council's events will wrap-up with Gospel Night event featuring the MLK Community Mass Choir and youth choir at 6 p.m. in the Civic Center, 1501 Mac Davis Lane.
Numerous organizations and non-profits are urging Lubbockites to make the holiday a day on instead of a day off, offering volunteer opportunities to help improve the community in the spirit of the late civil rights leader.
All city of Lubbock, state and federal offices, along with banks, will be closed on Monday in observance of the holiday.
A day of service
Among organizations celebrating the MLK holiday as a day of service, Lubbock Habitat for Humanity will host a volunteer service opportunity from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday at 3317th East Dartmouth St., said Christy Reeves, the organization's executive director.
Everyone who is 18 and up is invited to come and help Habitat and no pre-registration is required. If possible, large groups are requested to email creeves@lubbockhabitat.org so they can be adequately accommodated in terms of meals.
The Texas Tech Football team is expected to volunteer during the day. This will be the third year for the Red Raider football team to support MLK Day by helping Lubbock Habitat.
“We are so blessed to be able to host this day of service and to have such incredible support in our efforts," Reeves said. "There is no better way to honor the life and legacy of Dr. King than to spend the day helping others and creating a new neighborhood which will greatly benefit the Lubbock community.”
The projects for the day will include basic construction work on houses, building fences, and constructing porch railings for houses. No skills are required, volunteers must be at least 18 years old. Breakfast, lunch, snacks, water, as well as all tools needed, will be provided. All meals and water and snacks have been donated by First Baptist Church, Atmos Energy and other local vendors. Close-toed shoes are required, and volunteers should dress for the weather in clothes that can get dirty.
Lubbock Habitat for Humanity seeks to bring the community together through its mission to change the lives of families in Lubbock one home at a time, according to Reeves. Habitat for Humanity offers no-interest mortgages through its affordable housing program.
The university, for its part, has encouraged members of the Texas Tech community to volunteer at the Habitat event and a host of others as part of Tech's ongoing Centennial Celebration.
Participants are reminded to log their hours through the university website, https://ttu.secure.force.com/form/?formid=217939, to contribute toward the university's goal of completing 1 million hours of volunteerism and service during its celebration in 2022.
Other opportunities to volunteer for a good cause can be found through the Volunteer Center of Lubbock's website, https://www.volunteerlubbock.org/, or by calling them at 806-747-0551.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Lubbockites gather to worship God, celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.
