Rev. Martin Luther King, head-and-shoulders portrait, seated, facing front, hands extended upward, during a press conference / World Telegram & Sun photo by Dick DeMarsico. Photo given to the Library of Congress and obtained via Wikimedia Commons

DeKalb County is hosting its 34th annual celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday on Friday, Jan. 12 with a program called: “Together We Win: A Conversation on Cultural Diversity in DeKalb.”

The program will start at 11:30 a.m. and will be held in the Maloof Auditorium, located at 1300 Commerce Drive in Decatur.

“Dr. King’s revolutionary message that envisioned a Beloved Community based on justice, equal opportunity, and love of all human beings is the cornerstone of our 2018 MLK celebration,” DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond said in a recent press release. “This event will recognize and celebrate DeKalb’s diverse populations, cultures and unique perspectives.”

[adsanity id=39177 align=aligncenter /]

With a celebration theme of diversity and cooperation, Judge Penny Brown Reynolds will be the event’s special guest, presenting the blueprint for developing DeKalb County as a Beloved Community.”

According to a recent press release, Reynolds is the “first African-American chief of staff and legal counsel to Georgia’s lieutenant governor, and first African-American executive counsel for a Georgia governor” as well as “founder and executive producer of the annual ‘Judge Penny’s SisterTalk: A Women’s Empowerment Conference.’”

In addition to Reynolds, a panel discussion will be moderated by Sophia Choi, anchor and reporter for WSB-TV. The discussion will feature a panel of local leaders, covering “the valuable gifts that DeKalb County’s diverse population brings to the community.”

Lastly, Your DeKalb Farmer’s Market owners Robert and Barbara Blazer will receive “the inaugural Nathaniel Mosby Humanitarian Award for embracing the county’s unique cultural differences and growing the farmer’s market into a global icon.”

[adsanity id=36480 align=aligncenter /]

[adsanity id=33719 align=aligncenter /]

[adsanity id=38509 align=aligncenter /]