SCLC holds breakfast, march and rally to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday

Pictured at right is march line-up outside the Eutaw Activity Center for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s program activities to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday for the official observance of his birthday. The march was led by Gus Richardson in his wheelchair.
The march went from the Activity Center to the William M. Branch Courthouse where SCLC held a rally to honor the memory and continuing work of Dr. King and the civil rights movement.
Rev. Dr. H. K. Matthews, Presiding Elder of the AME Church and National Board member of SCLC from Brewton, Alabama was the guest speaker at the Courthouse program. The SCLC also presented awards to Martha James and Esmer Walker, as “Greene County Persons of the Year” at the program.

Rev. Charlie Means, Pastor of St. John Baptist Church, Clinton and St. Luke Baptist Church, Boligee, received the Greene County SCLC Rosa Parks Legacy Award at the 2011 Martin Luther King, Jr. annual fellowship breakfast in Eutaw. L to R: Rev. James Carter, vice-president, Greene County SCLC Chapter; Rev. Charlie Means and Spiver Gordon, president, Greene County SCLC Chapter.

Spiver Gordon, President of Greene County SCLC chapter presents plaque to Rev. H. K. Matthews of Brewton, Alabama, guest speaker for the Courthouse program. Gordon is joined by Rev. James Carter, local SCLC official and Diane Walton, mistress of ceremony for the program.


Spiver Gordon presents Greene County SCLC’s “Person of the Year Award” to Martha James of Eutaw. The award recognizes her lifetime of community service “to those who are least among us” . Gordon is joined for the presentation by Rev. James Carter and Diane Walton.

SCLC plans events to celebrate MLK’s Birthday

Ms. Martha James

Dr. H.K. Matthews
The Greene County Chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) will conduct several special events this weekend to honor the birthday and memory of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., according to Spiver W. Gordon, SCLC National Treasurer and local Greene County President.
“Our celebration programs will begin on Saturday, January 15, 2011 and run through Monday, January 17, 2011. This year’s program will also feature the selection of Greene County’s Persons of the Year,” said Gordon.
On Saturday, January 11, 2011 at 5:00PM there will be a “Freedom Gospel Singing Program” at the Eutaw Activity Center featuring gospel groups from Greene and surrounding counties.
On Monday, January 17, 2011, the program begins at 8:30 AM with the Countywide Freedom Unity Breakfast at the Eutaw Activity Center. Rev. Charlie Means, Pastor of the St. John’s Baptist Church in Boligee, Alabama will bring an inspirational message at the breakfast.
Following the breakfast, the SCLC chapter will hold its traditional march from the Activity Center uptown to the William M. Branch County Courthouse.
At the Courthouse, at 10:30AM, there will be a Countywide Freedom Rally featuring Rev. Dr. H. K. Matthews of Brewton, Alabama, an SCLC National Board Member as guest speaker. Other speakers will also participate. Matthews has been active with SCLC since the 1960’s and worked with Dr. King in south Alabama and west Florida. He is currently the pastor of Zion Fountain, AME Zion Church in Brewton.
“SCLC will also present awards to the ‘Greene County Persons of the Year’ at the Courthouse program. This year we are giving this award to Martha James of Eutaw and Esmer Walker of Union,” said Gordon.
“The criteria for the selection of our awardees was based on their outstanding community involvement and support for ‘those least among us’,” added Gordon.
Many other events are planned throughout the Black Belt to commemorate Dr. King’s Birthday. The University of Alabama, Stillman College and Shelton State Community College will be holding their 22nd Annual Realizing the Dream Concert on Saturday, January 15, 2011 at 7:30 PM at the Moody Music Building on the UA campus in Tuscaloosa.
The concert will feature the World-premier of Adolphus Hailstork’s musical and choral composition – “ Dream, Child. Hope.” Tickets are $15 and can be secured by calling 205/348-7111 or http://www.realizingthe dream.ua.edu.