More than 50 people marched along National Road on Sunday in an effort to honor the life of Martin Luther King Jr.
The attendees taking part in the Interfaith March for Peace held signs promoting love of all people, while others carried home made doves symbolizing peace. The event was held in conjunction with today's Martin Luther King Jr. day holiday.
In addition to the numerous people who took part in the march, a number of church heads and local organizations participated in the event, which departed from Temple Shalom on Bethany Pike and made its way to Wheeling Jesuit University's Chapel of Mary and Joseph. A memorial service was held in honor of King's life and legacy, followed by a lunch of soul food.
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Photo by J.W. Johnson Jr.
More than 50 people participated in the Interfaith March for Peace on Sunday, making the trek from Bethany Pike to Wheeling Jesuit University where a memorial service for Martin Luther King Jr. was held.
Also on Sunday, a separate service was held in memory of King at the Church of God & Saints in Wheeling. The event, sponsored by the Black Clergy Alliance, carried a message of hope and unity from Elder Eric Gray.
Events honoring King's life will continue today, the third Monday of the month, which has served as a national holiday since its inception in 1983. At 9 a.m., a children's breakfast will be held at West Virginia Northern Community College, which includes breakfast and activities that introduce King to young people. At 1 p.m., a panel discussion with excerpts from the film "When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts" will be held in the Troy Theater.
At 3 p.m., winners of the YWCA's annual MLK children's essay contest will read their winning essays and be honored for their scholastic efforts. This public program will be held this year at Laughlin Chapel, 129 18th St., Wheeling. Additionally, two community members will be named during the program and honored with special awards. These leaders will receive the annual Martin Luther King Award and the Rosa Parks Award.
The committee will also honor three deceased members of the committee for their work and vision for justice: Rabbi Daniel Lowy, Ron Mulholland and Bishop Donald Pitts. Lowy was rabbi emeritus of Wheeling's Temple Shalom and died last fall. Mulholland was the longtime Youth Services System Inc. administrator who died in 2009.
The MLK committee also will make a $500 donation to the newly designated Bishop Donald Pitts Scholarship. This new college scholarship will be announced today and awarded to a student in the future.
At 6:30 p.m., a Gospel service and announcement of the MLK and Rosa Parks Awards will conclude the activities.
