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Martin Luther King Jr., a prominent civil rights movement leader until his untimely death, dedicated his life to the cause so much that a national holiday was named in his honor. 

Winchester is sure not to forget about it. 

The annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration is scheduled for Monday, January 20. 

“I just think it’s a great opportunity to honor his legacy and reflect on the message of unity and equality that he championed, as well as the principles of nonviolence and love and understanding for each other,” said Kent Coogle, who serves as Community Education Director for Clark County Public Schools and is a member of the Unity Committee that helped plan the event.

The Unity Committee, which has met for several months, officially has ten members, though many community members also contribute. 

“The event is a service to us too because we try to make sure that everyone who wants to come can come,” said Deatra Newell, another member of the Unity Committee. “That’s why we do not charge for our breakfast and haven’t charged for years.” 

The breakfast mentioned is the breakfast and MLK Jr. Day Celebration program, which begins at 10:00 a.m. in the gymnasium of Saint Agatha Academy, located at 224 South Main Street. 

The annual march to the building begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Clark County Court House, 34 South Main Street, and will precede the breakfast. 

While inclement weather could postpone the march, the breakfast and program will take place nevertheless. 

Among other highlights, the program will feature George Rogers Clark High School’s award-winning JROTC program and the Cardinal Singers, a coed group. 

Different works of art from Clark County Public Schools students are also set to be present, with GRC and Robert D. Campbell Junior High School students providing thematic writing samples and other schools offering mosaic tiles and more. 

Cora Newell Fletcher, who formerly directed the Berea College nursing program, will be honored.  

Certainly not least, Justice Pamela Goodwine – the first African American woman elected to the Kentucky Supreme Court in November – will serve as the event’s featured speaker. 

With much to experience, Newell hopes that others take away a message of coming together in a world that can sometimes feel divisive. 

“If we can just start bridging the gap and start liking each other first in our own homes [and] in our own families, then we can reach out to our communities and start to make [them] a better place,” she said.