Dr. King to be honored with multiple events in VP, Mamou

The residents of Evangeline Parish will once again be honoring the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
The Evangeline Parish Martin Luther King Foundation will hold its annual program on Monday, January 16. The parade will begin at 9 a.m. starting at the Ville Platte High Stadium, and will proceed down Martin Luther King Drive before turning left on Alton Lock Street to the MLK Center. There will be a program held at the MLK Center that will celebrate Dr. King’s life, which will include hymns about overcome struggles. That will start at 10:30 a.m.
“It is very important for us to have this celebration because of what MLK stood for,” Ville Platte Mayor Jennifer Vidrine said. “He stood for equality for all people. And that is what his dream was about. Hopefully there are people living his dream that his mission for equality for all is happening for all.”
In Mamou, Zion Traveler Baptist Church is inviting all churches and ministries in the parish to take part in their annual Martin Luther L. King Parade on Monday starting at 2 p.m. at the Mamou Skating Rink. The church asks that others churches send church queen/king, drill teams, praise dance groups and other leaders.
A program, featuring guest speaker Mrs. Selina Richard of Opelousas, will follow at 6 p.m. at the church.
Executive Director of Evangeline Community Action Agency Carleen Bellard, who will be singing at the Ville Platte event, says it is important to build upon what Dr. King and other civil rights activist accomplished.
“How can we build on their struggles, the things they struggled with to accomplish for later generations,” Bellard said. “They went through things that made it easy for us as a generation to succeed. We need to build upon what they did by continuing to protect the rights that they fought so hard for. We have to make sure to not let their fight go in vein.”
Vidrine echoed that sentiment saying, “If it were not for MLK we would not be in the position that we are in today. We are passing down his legacy, celebrating the legacy and making sure it stays alive.”