Due to the extreme weather, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. parade and march will go on today as a motorcade. There will be no marchers.
All participants will remain in their vehicles. The motorcade will start at the Lt. Col. Frederick Turner Jr. Military Science Building on the Arkansas State University campus.
It will depart the military science building, travel up Marion Berry Parkway to Johnson Avenue, proceed down University Loop, and conclude at the Fowler Center, 201 Olympic Drive, for the 23rd annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration.
Ashley Wilson, co-chair of the NEA MLK Jr. Day Parade Committee, told content partners KLEK that parade participants can drive in their own vehicles. Wilson also said that JET Trolley will also provide transportation to and from the parade for participants. Participants can park and board at the Fowler Center starting at 9:30 A.M.
The marching bands will perform outside the Fowler Center on campus at 11 a.m., at the end of the motorcade.
The program will begin at noon. The theme for the program this year is "Mission Possible: Protecting Freedom, Justice & Democracy in the Spirit of Nonviolence."
Jonesboro native Jervonne Newsome will serve as the keynote speaker for the event.
“As a licensed attorney, minister and community advocate, Elder Newsome will deliver an empowering and thought-provoking message aligned with Dr. King’s mission of unity and social justice,” said Ashley Wilson, committee co-chairman. “The program will also feature inspiring performances, reflections on Dr. King’s legacy, and a call to action for continued community activism.”
Jonesboro Mayor Harold Copenhaver and A-State leadership will also speak during the program.
The program is free to attend.
This is an edited press release from Arkansas State University.