JACKSON, MISS– Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “The time is always right to do what is right.” Mississippians across the state are banding together today to live out those words on MLK Day.
Students around the state are coming together to pay it forward with several day of service events, and they’re inviting the public to help.
More than 150 University of Mississippi Medical Center students will spend the day serving in the following locations:
- Gateway Rescue Mission
- Good Samaritan Center
- Mustard Seed
- Mission First
- Jackson Zoo
Ole Miss students, faculty, and staff are hosting several events throughout the day in Oxford to highlight the life, spirit, and determination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.:
- Community Food Drive
- Community showing of the film “Selma”at the Oxford Conference Center
- Chili’s Bar and Grille and Chik-Fil-A (Oxford locations only) host Community Give Back Night for the Oxford Housing Authority
- Candlelight vigil at Second Baptist Church
Mississippi State students are also joining in on the Day of Service in the following locations:
- Palmer Home for Children
- Habitat for Humanity Resale Store
- Camp Seminole
- Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge,
- Ms. Smith’s Tutoring
- Christian World Missions
- Oktibbeha County Heritage Museum
Students with the Mississippi Youth Media Project in Jackson are also teaming up with students in Montgomery County to retweet stories by student journalists that discuss topics of race, poverty, and justice issues, as well as stories about reconciliation and healing. You can participate as well, using the hashtags #MSHealing and #TRHT.
The State of Mississippi is one of three (including Alabama and Arkansas) to combine Martin Luther King Jr. Day with Robert E. Lee Day. Magnolia state legislators voted to combine the two holidays in 1987. This is a move that has been highly controversial, but currently, there are no bills filed to attempt to separate the two holidays. Last year, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson called for the two days to be separated.
The Mississippi Division Sons of Confederate Veterans acknowledged January 16th as Robert E. Lee Day on their Facebook page, and at 6pm they will host a Lee-Jackson banquet. For more information on this event, visit their Facebook page.
