Martin Luther King Jr. addresses a crowd from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial where he delivered his famous, “I Have a Dream,” speech during the Aug. 28, 1963, march on Washington, D.C. (Wikimedia)
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Holiday Law, which was signed by Ronald Reagan.
The federal legislation, House of Representatives Bill, H.R. 3706, in honor of the birthday, life, and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was authored and sponsored by then U.S. Representative Katie Hall of Indiana’s First Congressional District. Mrs. Hall was the first African-American- male or female elected to the United States Congress from the State of Indiana.
In honor of this milestone occasion, the Katie Hall Educational Foundation, Inc. will host the “Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. At 40” Ecumenical Service on Saturday, November 4, 2023, at Van Buren Missionary Baptist Church in Gary, Indiana. The VIP Reception will begin at 11:00AM and the Ecumenical Service will begin at 12:00PM in the afternoon. Rev. Dwight E. Mobley, Sr. is the Pastor/Teacher at Van Buren Missionary Baptist Church. Admission is free and open to the General Public.
The featured and invited Keynote Speaker for the event is Trial Attorney Willie E. Gary of Stuart, Florida. Gary is the 2016 recipient of the Katie Hall Public Service Award, the Foundation’s highest honor. He is also the subject of the new Amazon Prime movie, “Burial” now streaming.
Other featured and invited guests are: Courtney Papa, Regional Director, Office of U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-IN), Indianapolis, Indiana; Dr. Tracy Snipe, Professor, School of Social Sciences and International Studies, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio; Dr. Vernon G. Smith, Indiana State Representative (14th District); and Attorney Haneefah Khaaliq, Executive Director, Gary Human Relations Commission, among other program participants.
The event will also feature musical guests Booker T. Buckingham, one of the “Kings of Gospel” and the United Male Chorus of Gary and the Calumet Region, accompanied by Mrs. Patricia DeNeal, pianist and Minister of Music of Trinity Missionary Baptist Church in Gary. Donald L. Thompson of Donald L. Thompson & Associates and Concertmeister David L. Howard are also musical performers on November 4th.
For more information, contact the Law Office of Attorney John Henry Hall, Ed.D.,LL.M. at (219) 883-7711.
