People in local towns are preparing for MLK Jr. Day

WEST POINT, Miss. (WCBI)- Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a week from today and local communities are getting prepared.

The holiday honors the life and legacy of MLK Jr. and his hard work and efforts in the fight for equality.

Anna Jones and the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Holiday Committee are always on the go around this time of year.

Although the pandemic changed the way they celebrate, she said the meaning is still the same.

“It’s actually supposed to be a day of service and we hope that this year people will want to come out and make this one of the biggest ones since covid,” said holiday committee coordinator Anna Jones.

Jones said that the COVID-19 pandemic changed how they celebrate the day.

The city has a march to start off the day which a program with different speakers has usually followed, but now the focus is less on words and more on deeds. And those speakers are being replaced by a food drive.

“We know there are food pantries but project homestead is the one that everyone really goes to, well most people so we’re trying to do project homestead food drive for them,” said Jones.

The Food Drive allows people to be hands-on for the day of service. Jones said she’s thankful for the folks who come out but she’s targeting a specific group this year: the youth of the area.

“That’s the next generation and we’re trying to inspire them that it’s not boring but it’s a really good activity for them to come to,” said Jones.

The Committee will hold a food drive dropoff at the Mary Holmes College gymnasium, and while Jones is glad they can come together again this year, she still wants people to take care.

“Try and social distance and just be cautious because we still have covid it isn’t gone,” said Jones.

The food drive will be Saturday from 9:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Mary Holmes. The annual march will kick off Monday morning at 9 a.m.

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