A breakfast and day of community service Jan. 18 will mark greater St. Cloud’s celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
The free public breakfast is 7-10 a.m. in the ballroom of Atwood Memorial Center.
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Pre-register to attend. Parking is free in campus lots. Parking is $1.50 an hour in the 4th Avenue Parking Ramp.
Breakfast includes the 8 a.m. Twin Cities Television broadcast of remarks by former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, live from Minneapolis Convention Center.
The federal King holiday honors the nonviolent civil-rights leader, Nobel laureate, activist and clergyman who paved the way for passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the 1965 Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act of 1968. King held three college degrees, including a doctorate from Boston University.
His first claim to fame was leading a 1955-56 boycott that resulted in desegregation of buses in Montgomery, Alabama. He was assassinated in Memphis in 1968, while campaigning for equal pay for black city sanitation workers.
In some communities, including St. Cloud, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is marked by community-service events.
Kids Fighting Hunger is teaming with St. Cloud State to host three food-packaging events 9 a.m.-3 p.m. in Garvey Commons. Other sponsors include United Way of Central Minnesota, St. Cloud Granite City Rotary, Thrivent Financial and Sodexo.
Other Jan. 18 events include an oratory contest, two art contests, an essay contest and “King’s Kids.” The latter offers hands-on activities for children three-and-older.
MLK Day 2016 is managed by Community Anti-Racism Education Initiative (C.A.R.E), in cooperation with 14 organizations and companies.
