Members of the congregation sing during a service commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday Sunday afternoon at New Zion Baptist Church.Churchgoers met Sunday afternoon in the New Zion Baptist Church sanctuary to celebrate the life and work of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
People trickled slowly into the sanctuary, which glowed from the late afternoon sun, talking and laughing with one another until the ceremony began. Attendees were a mix of young and old faces, regular comers to the celebration and new ones.
“It’s always been very interesting,” said Hazel Adair, who was attending the M.L. King birthday party for the third year in a row. “I love the whole thing.”
The event, held on the eve of the national Martin Luther King Day holiday, focused on the children and youth of today.
“We wanted to do this for our children,” said Rosalind Harris, “to keep the history alive, to give them guidance while they’re young. We are blessed to have our children here today.”