Asheville events celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

FULL HOUSE: The 35th annual Prayer Breakfast drew over 1,000 attendees. Another big crowd is expected at this year's event, which will take place on Saturday, Jan. 14 at the Crowne Plaza Resort. Photo by Virginia Daffron

Saturday, Jan. 14

Now in its 36th year, Asheville’s annual prayer breakfast draws hundreds of attendees from across the community. Inspirational speaker Patricia Russell-McCloud will deliver the keynote address. Russell-McCloud is the author of A is for Attitude: An Alphabet for Living, a book of reflections that encourage readers to “move past the status quo, shift the paradigm and break out of a comfort zone.” At Crowne Plaza Resort. Doors open 7:30 a.m., program starts 8:30 a.m. Individual tickets $25; Patron tickets $35, with patron names included in the program journal. Tickets at mlkasheville.org or 281-1624.

Sunday, Jan. 15

The Celebration Singers, a youth chorus, will present a concert in honor of King. First Congregational Church at 20 Oak St., 4 p.m. Free, donations accepted at the door.

Monday, Jan. 16

Asheville’s peace march and rally will get underway at 11:30 a.m. at St. James AME Church at 44 Hildebrand St. At noon, participants will march to City-County Plaza. Free.

A candlelight service will honor the contributions of area individuals and organizations to the cause of social justice. Fellowship Hall of Central United Methodist Church, 27 Church St., 6 p.m. Free.

The Kenilworth community will host its seventh annual celebration of King and his work. Potluck dinner in Kenilworth Center at 4 Chiles Ave., 5:30 p.m. Program featuring activist and Winston-Salem Black Panther party co-founder Hazel Mack at Kenilworth Presbyterian Church at 123 Kenilworth Road (adjacent to Kenilworth Center), 6:30 p.m. Free.

Tuesday, Jan. 17

The 2010 documentary film Freedom Riders will be screened and discussed. The film examines the role played by more than 400 black and white Americans who risked their lives challenging Jim Crow laws in the South in 1961. UNC Asheville Highsmith Union, the Grotto. 6 p.m. Free.

Thursday, Jan. 19

The keynote lecture for UNC Asheville’s week of celebrations of Martin Luther King Jr. will be given by Walter Kimbrough, president of Dillard University in New Orleans, La. Kimbrough has been recognized for his research and writings on African-Americans and higher education. UNC Asheville Lipinsky Auditorium. 7 p.m. Free.

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About Virginia Daffron
Managing editor, lover of mountains, native of WNC. Follow me @virginiadaffron

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