The Delaware County Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee and Ohio Wesleyan University invite the community to join together in “Pursuing the Dream” during the 2020 observance of King’s life and legacy.
The two-day commemoration will begin at 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19, with the 35th annual MLK worship service at Delaware City Vineyard, 32 Troy Road, Delaware. The free event will feature remarks from the Rev. Dr. Ervin Smith, emeritus professor of Christian ethics at the Methodist Theological School in Ohio.
An ordained elder in the United Methodist Church, Smith also is the author of works including “The Ethics of Martin Luther King, Jr.,” “Black Theology: Toward an Inclusive Church,” and “Christian Ethics and Affirmative Action.”
Delaware’s commemoration will continue at 7:45 a.m. Monday, Jan. 20, with the 27th annual MLK Breakfast Celebration in the Benes Rooms of Ohio Wesleyan’s Hamilton-Williams Campus Center, 40 Rowland Ave., Delaware.
Korie L. Edwards, Ph.D., associate professor of sociology at The Ohio State University, will serve as featured speaker at the breakfast. Edwards is a leading scholar of race and religion in the United States and past president of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion. Her books include “The Elusive Dream: The Power of Race in Interracial Churches” and “Against All Odds: The Struggle for Racial Integration in Religious Organizations.”
Edwards’ current scholarship focuses on matters related to race and religious leadership. She is developing a book on contemporary African American religious leaders and their engagement in civic and political activity. In addition, Edwards is heading a national study of multiracial church pastors called The Religious Leadership and Diversity Project.
The 2020 MLK Breakfast buffet will open at 7:45 a.m., followed by the program from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.
Breakfast tickets may be purchased online at 2020MLKBreakfastDelaware.eventbrite.com.
Proceeds support MLK Celebration Committee initiatives, including the MLK Scholarship, awarded annually to one or more outstanding high school graduates of Delaware City and County schools. Since 1990, the committee has awarded more than $20,000 in scholarships. This year’s recipients are Isabella Bosco, Cera Linnell, Raul Olvera, and Melita Sanders.
For more information, contact Hayes at [email protected] or (740) 368-3083.
