People throughout the United States celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday on Monday, and locally, a variety of events were organized to recognize the difference that he made in his lifetime.

In LaGrange, the celebration to remember King began as it usually does, with a parade on the second Saturday of January. Local schools, businesses and clubs participated in the parade, and we’d like to think many of the children who we saw marching and riding in the parade got to talk about the meaning behind the signs they carried with teachers and parents before hand. 

On Thursday, students from throughout the Troup County School System took part in a program that endeavored to not only recognize the contributions of King, but also the men and women who stood up for what was right during the Civil Rights movement, even if taking a stand meant risking their jobs, safety and freedom. The program encouraged students and parents alike to pause for a moment to acknowledge the contributions of those individuals.

Finally, Hogansville held its annual program to honor King and the men and women who improved the community. Among those honored was Moses Ector, who served as the first African American Hogansville Police officer and later its chief.

We’d like to thank those who organized and made these annual events possible. 

Thank you for teaching us about Dr. King and encouraging young men and women to have a dream.