Merced to hold 23rd annual march, celebration to honor MLK

Celebrations fit for a King will unfold in Merced this weekend, as thousands of residents take to the streets to honor the memory of late civil rights leader, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The Rev. Phil Lawson is the scheduled keynote speaker for the 23rd annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, according to the Merced Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Committee.

A worship service with Rev. Lawson is scheduled to be held at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 20, at the United Methodist Church of Merced, 899 Yosemite Parkway in Merced.

People will begin to gather for the annual Unity March at 10 a.m. Monday Jan. 21, at the Merced County Fairgrounds, 900 Martin Luther King Jr. Way. The march is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.

Marchers will make their way to the Merced Theatre, 301 W. Main St., where a celebration program will be held at 12 p.m., according to the committee’s calendar.

Music and festivities featuring DJ Rasta are scheduled to be held at Merced’s McNamara Park beginning at 2 p.m. Monday. At 4 p.m. that day, a service will be held at Antioch Baptish Church, 404 W. 6th St. in Merced.

President Ronald Reagan signed Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the holiday honoring Dr. King’s birthday, into law in 1983.