The Granville County Human Relations Commission (HRC) will host its annual event to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., just as it has in years past. But this year’s event will be virtual. The Granville HRC traditionally organizes and hosts a fellowship breakfast as a way to brings community members together to celebrate diversity, as well as the legacy of the late Civil Rights leader, who advocated for peace.
“For 2021, we wanted to ensure that the message of fellowship and unity was carried forward, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic,” HRC Chair Rev. John Gooch said in a press release from Granville County Public Information Officer Lynn Allred. “Although the means of conveying that message is different, the spirit of the event remains the same. We thank everyone who helped make this possible,” Gooch continued.
The event will be videotaped and will be available for viewing on Monday, Jan. 18, which is the federal holiday honoring the slain Civil Rights leader. Viewer can tune in to Granville County’s local government channel, Spectrum Channel 17. Video segments will also be posted to the Granville County Government website and social media (Facebook) platform, according to the press release.
First-place winners of the essay contest will read their essays aloud during the program. Karissa Birdine of Butner Stem Middle School and Haley Erexson of Granville Central High School were this year’s essay contest winners.
This year’s keynote speaker is Jeannette Paschal, senior pastor of the United Christian Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church of Oxford. In addition, members of the Mary Potter Community Choir will perform musical selections. Members of the Human Relations Commission are also a part of the program and will give remarks.
Spectrum cable television subscribers can tune in to Channel 17 (Community Calendar in the program guide) from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Jan. 18. The video will be aired throughout the day. Visit www.granvillecounty.org to view segments of the video online, or visit the Granville County Government Facebook page.
Segments of the event were recorded at the George C. Shaw Museum and the Granville County Historical Society Museum, both located in Oxford.
For more information about this project, please contact the County Manager’s Office at 919-693-5240.