Hilton Head plans driving parade, cemetery cleanup for MLK Day. How to get involved
Leaders on Hilton Head Island have planned events, lectures, service opportunities and a driving parade to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. this weekend.
Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a federal holiday honoring the birthday and commemorating the accomplishments of the slain civil rights leader, who would have been 92 on Jan. 15, 2021.
The Hilton Head MLK Committee for Justice organized the program.
After a tumultuous year of racial justice rallies, over 375,000 deaths nationally from COVID-19, a divisive election season and, last week, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, the celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. urges islanders to come together in understanding and compassion.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, all of the educational events except the parade and cemetery clean up take place online. To access the events, visit the Hilton Head MLK Committee for Justice Facebook page or the Hilton Head MLK Committee for Justice Youtube channel.
Five years before his assassination in Memphis in 1968, King visited and preached at Second African Baptist Church in Savannah, where he delivered what would become his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.
Here’s a lineup of Hilton Head’s events:
Thursday, Jan. 14
6 p.m. – Ecumenical Service including music, speakers and words of worship
Friday, Jan. 15
6:30 p.m. – Shabbat Service streamed live from Congregation Beth Yam
Saturday, Jan. 16
8 a.m. – Drive-thru breakfast at All Saints Episcopal Church
9 a.m. to noon – Service Project: In-person Cleanup of Historic Gullah Cemeteries. Registration is required through Eventbrite. Attendees must wear a mask and stay six feet apart.
Cemetery addresses:
- Jenkins Island Cemetery: 45 William Hilton Parkway/Jenkins Road
- Amelia White Cemetery: 95 Squire Pope Road, adjacent to the two-acre Green’s Shell Enclosure
- Spanish Wells Cemetery: 30 Oak Marsh Drive
1 p.m. – “Alex Brown, Ward 1 Councilman and His Plans for Good Trouble” – Alex Brown, Hilton Head Island Town Council Ward 1 representative
2 p.m. – “You Must Raise Your Voice To Be Heard” – Cathy McClellan, retired attorney and Co-chair of Lowcountry Diversity Council
3 p.m. – “Landmark Civil Rights Legislation” – Judge James Wynn
4 p.m. – “Civic Engagement – Get Involved!” – Dr. Patricia Felton-Montgomery, president of the League of Women Voters Hilton Head/ Bluffton and director for racial justice for the South Carolina League of Women Voters
5 p.m. – “Voting Rights Education” – Nathan Campbell, May River High School
7 p.m. – “Preparing for and Succeeding in College” – Desiree Bailey, Deahn Holmes, Chynna Sneed and Walter Wheeler. The roundtable will be moderated by Isabella Miller and Andrina Jean.
Sunday, Jan. 17
11 a.m. – “Words From Pastor Alston” – Rev. Edward B. Alston, Queen Chapel A.M.E. Church
12 p.m. – “Successive Modeling” – Ibrahim ‘Abdul-Malik, Masjid Jihad Community
1 p.m. – “COVID-19 and Our Physical and Emotional Well-being” – Barbara Meyer, EdD, psychologist
2 p.m. – “Good Trouble in the Context of the Seven Principles of Unitarian Universalism” – Rev. Charlie Tyler, Unitarian Universalist Church
3 p.m. – “Town of Hilton Head Island Gullah-Geechee Land and Cultural Preservation Task Force” – Caroline McVitty, attorney and task force member
4 p.m. – “There Are Layers to This: Understanding Health Disparities” – Dafina Ward, executive director of The Southern AIDS Coalition
5 p.m. – “Driving Out Hatred” – Rise Prince, community advocate
Monday, Jan. 18
10 a.m. – Driving Parade on Hilton Head will led by sheriff’s car and firetrucks. Parade will depart from Hilton Head High School parking lot. Cars may start lining up at 9:15 a.m.
1 p.m. – MLK Day Celebration including music, speakers and words of worship
2 p.m. – “What Would MLK Do: The Myths and Misconceptions of King’s Legacy” – Ahmad Ward, executive director of Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park
3 p.m. – “Gullah Series: Get To Know the Gullah Museum of Hilton Head” – Dr. Louise Miller Cohen, founder/director of The Gullah Museum of Hilton Head
4 p.m. – “Past and Present at Penn Center” – Victoria Smalls, director of Penn Center National Historic Landmark District
Tuesday, Jan. 19
10 a.m. – “Building a Beloved Community” – Rev. Dr. Nannette Pierson, founder and director of Sandalwood Community Food Pantry
11 a.m. – “Building a Beloved Community II” – Sandy Gillis, executive director of Hilton Head Deep Well Project
12 p.m. – “Gullah Series: An Interview With Gullah Elder Mother Rivers” – Ethel Rivers, a Gullah elder believed to be the oldest living person born on Hilton Head Island
1 p.m. – “Ensuring That Everyone Feels Safe and Respected Within Beaufort County Schools” – Dr. Frank Rodriguez, superintendent of Beaufort County Schools
2 p.m. – “Supporting Local Students Through the Student Tech Connect Fund” – Jackie Rosswurm, PhD, interim president and CEO of Community Foundation of the Lowcountry
3 p.m. – “Gullah Series: A Sense of Self and Place: Unmasking My Gullah Cultural Heritage” – Dr. Emory Campbell, author and community leader
4 p.m. – “What Diversity Looks Like” – Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue
