HomeMy Public PortalAboutTOL PR 2016-01-07 Annual MLK March
Town of Leesburg
News Release
For Immediate Release Media Contact:
Betsy Arnett, Public Information Officer
barnett@leesburgva.gov 703-771-2734
24th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. March and Celebration
Scheduled for Monday, January 18, 2016
Leesburg, VA (January 7, 2016) – The Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. March and Celebration will
be held on Monday, January 18, 2016. The theme of this year’s celebration is “The Strength to
Love: Where Do We Go From Here?” Keynote speaker will be poet and author May Rihani.
The celebration will begin at 9:00am with a “Love to Unity” Community Dialogue at the
Douglass Community Center (405 East Market Street, Leesburg). The Community Dialogue 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 with an invocation on the grounds of the
Loudoun County Courthouse in downtown Leesburg at 10:15am. At 10:30am, marchers will
proceed from the courthouse to the Douglass Community Center. Individuals, families,
churches, and community organizations are invited to participate and walk together during the
March.
East Market Street, from King Street to Church Street, will be closed at 9:30am in preparation
for the March. Once the March begins, the eastbound lanes of East Market Street, from Church
Street to the Douglass Community Center, will be closed to traffic. Cross streets will reopen
once the March has cleared each intersection. Drivers should follow police direction and be
prepared for minor delays.
Following the March, refreshments will be served at the Douglass Community Center. At
11:45am, the film, “The March,” directed and narrated by James Blue, will be shown, followed
by music and inspirational performances, highlighted by a keynote address by author May
Rihani.
May Rihani is a pioneer in girls’ education and a tireless advocate of women’s rights. She served
as co-chair of the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI) between 2008 and 2010.
Her seminal book, Keeping the Promise, is a framework for advancing girls’ education that is
used by global organizations. A native of Lebanon, Ms. Rihani has published three books of
poetry in Arabic. Her latest book, Cultures Without Borders: From Beirut to Washington, D.C., is
a memoir.
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.
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