HomeMy Public PortalAboutTOL PR 2015-01-08 Annual MLK March
Town of Leesburg
News Release
For Immediate Release
23rd Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. March and Celebration
Scheduled for Monday, January 19, 2015
Leesburg, VA (January 8, 2015) – Families,
friends, and community organizations from
all over Loudoun County will come together
on Monday, January 19, 2015 in Leesburg
for the Annual March and Celebration
honoring the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. The theme of this year’s
celebration is “Stand Up For Justice - Act!”
Keynote speaker will be Dr. Wendi Manuel
Scott.
The celebration will begin at 9:00am with a
Community Forum at the Douglass
Community Center (405 East Market Street, Leesburg), focused on creating a dialogue between
youth and elders. The Community Forum will be followed at 10:00am by a special morning
program at the Douglass Community Center for those who are unable to participate in the
march.
The annual Loudoun County MLK March will begin at the Loudoun County Courthouse in
downtown Leesburg at 10:30am. This symbolic march will proceed from the Old Loudoun
Courthouse to the Douglass Community Center, formerly the Douglass High School. Local
school bands, individuals, families, and community groups will be participating in the march,
one of the largest and oldest in the region. Noteworthy in Loudoun County history, Douglass
High School was the last segregated black high school in the area, until 1968. Religious and civic
organizations and members of the surrounding community are invited to participate and walk
together during the March, displaying their banners.
During the March, the eastbound lanes of East Market Street, from Church Street to the
Douglass Community Center, will be closed to traffic. Drivers should follow police direction and
be prepared for minor delays.
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Following the March, refreshments will be served at the Douglass Community Center. Musical
performances, presentations, and inspirational offerings will be made by members o f the
community, highlighted by a speech by Dr. Wendi Manuel-Scott.
Dr. Wendi Manuel-Scott is the Director of African and African American Studies and an
Associate Professor of History and Art History at George Mason University. She helped to
research and curate a permanent exhibit in Loudoun County, Virginia documenting the history
of the Leesburg Frederick Douglass School and struggles of the African American community in
Loudoun County for an equal education.
Attendees to the Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration are encouraged to participate in a canned
food drive to benefit Loudoun Interfaith Relief. This local charity has a special need for
nonperishable meat products. Drop off area for the food drive will be at Douglass Community
Center from 8:00 am to 1:30 pm.
The founding sponsors for this event are the Loudoun NAACP, Douglass Alumni Association,
Bluemont Concert Series, and the Baha’i Community of Loudoun. Individuals, families, schools,
businesses, civic and religious organizations are all welcome to participate. For more
information, please visit www.facebook.com/MLKMarchLeesburg, call 540-955-8186 or email
themarch08@yahoo.com.
Contact:
Betsy Fields
Research & Communications Manager
bfields@leesburgva.gov
703-771-2734
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