Demetrius King, of Tyler, performs a spoken word piece at the second East Texas Martin Luther King Jr. Spoken Word Slam and Open Mic Competition on Jan. 19, 2020. The event is sponsored by Tyler Together Race Relations Forum and Mike Guinn Entertainment and will be held again from 7 to 9 Friday at The Foundry in Tyler.

Editor’s Note: These events have been verified as of press time Thursday. Due to the possibility of inclement weather, be sure to check with event organizers before making plans to attend.

Cities in East Texas are set to host several events through the weekend and on Monday to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. day.

Tyler

In Tyler, numerous events will be held to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

The 5th Annual MLK Spoken Word Competition will be held Friday from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Foundry Coffee House located at 202 S. Broadway St. in Downtown Tyler.

The theme is ‘The Power Of One Voice’ and registration is free. The first 10 poets are guaranteed a slot, but no music or props are allowed. Poems cannot be longer than three minutes and cannot contain any profanity. This is a free, family-friendly event so all ages are welcomed.

The poems do not have to be about Martin Luther King Jr., as they can be about community, life or unity.

Event coordinator Mike Guinn believes King’s vision of people all sitting together at a table captures the essence of this event.

“This event is about diversity and inclusion,” Guinn said. “It’s everything that Martin stood for.”

Poets will get an opportunity to earn cash prizes and awards as top three winners.

For more information, call Guinn at 972-704-5001.

On Saturday at 10 a.m., the Texas African American Museum will host its inaugural MLK parade.

The parade will begin on Glenwood Avenue to Martin Luther King Jr Blvd., concluding with a program at the Texas African American Museum.

“His message was all about love,” Texas African American Museum executive director Gloria Washington said in a previous article. “All about coming together, bringing communities, bringing individuals together that one day his children… all those children would not be judged by the contents of their color, but by the contents of their character, letting people know who they are, who we are and what we are striving to achieve.”

Celebrations will continue at the Texas African American Museum after the parade, as Dr. Shirley J. McKellar Day kicks off at noon. The day is to celebrate “two very prestigious doctors,” Washington said, as the dream continues in 2024.

The Tyler Together Race Relations’ 38th annual Martin Luther King Jr. March and Program, originally set for Monday morning, was canceled, organizers said Thursday.

Longview

On Friday at 7 p.m., the David Whiteman Band of Dallas will perform a jazz concert at the Longview Community Center, 500 E. Whaley St. A local band, Calvin Tatum and King States, will be the concert opener.

A pre-concert reception will begin at 6 p.m. Concert tickets cost $20 at the door. People can buy tickets in advance online by visiting http://tinyurl.com/mlkjazzconcert.

On Saturday at 10 a.m., a parade will take place along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. It will start at Pittman Street and end at Foster Middle School on the boulevard. The parade is open to the public. The deadline to become a parade entrant has passed.

Also on Saturday, a community festival will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Broughton Recreation Center, 801 S. MLK Jr. Blvd. Vendors will be present, and food will be available. Children’s activities will be a part of the event. There is no cost to attend the event.

House of Tots Creative School will present “Talking Truth with the House of Tots,” which will be featured as a talk show. With a host, children, ages 3 to 10, from the daycare center will act as guests, dressed up and presented as prominent members of the African American community. From Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to Thurgood Marshall and Rosa Parks and more, the audience will hear accomplishments and the impact they had on society.

“This is something that is opened to the community, as we want to bridge the gap that exists with integration,” said Shirley Powell, owner and director of House of Tots Creative School. “We’re hoping this play will help with understanding human rights and how far we have come.”

Saturday evening, Longview District No. 2 City Councilwoman Nona Snoddy will receive the MLK Humanitarian Award during the Humanitarian Award Celebration at Parkview Baptist Church, 2014 S. Green St. There is no cost to attend the event, and no registration is required.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Day March, originally scheduled for Monday, was canceled by the Longview Area Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance. The Interfaith Service is still scheduled for noon.

The Rev. J.T. Harris of the Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church of Carthage will speak. There is no cost to attend the event, and no registration is required.

This is the second year officials with the City of Longview have overseen the citywide celebration. Dietrich Johnson, the city’s community services administrator, said city leaders thought it was important for the city to “take the lead” on coordinating celebrations for nationally recognized federal holidays.

Johnson said he hopes to see the community celebrate King.

“We feel it’s important that we honor and recognize the life and legacy of this civil rights leader,” Johnson said. “We’re happy to be able to celebrate his life as a city.”

While those events are city-sanctioned, at least one area organization will host an event of its own that day. Longview Community Ministries is seeking volunteers for its MLK Day of Service project: sanding and repainting a railing in front of the organization’s building.

Those who would like to volunteer for the event are encouraged to sign up on the Greater Longview United Way’s new area-wide website for volunteerism, www.etxcares.com. The website, launched Jan. 2, allows East Texas organizations to advertise that they need volunteers. It also allows those who would like to volunteer to sign up and keep track of what they’ve done.

Those who’d like to sign up can do so by visiting the site, clicking the “Volunteer Now” button on the homepage and looking for the sanding and painting project listed on the Needs page. For more information, contact Longview Community Ministries by calling (903) 753-3561.

Other events in East Texas:

Gladewater

MLK Day Gospel Brunch, 10 a.m. Monday, Red Rock Community Center at 2629 South Rodeo in Gladewater. Featuring guest speaker Dr. Sedric Clark, Gladewater ISD superintendent, and a performance by the Gladewater Community Choir., Tickets: $10 or five canned goods.

Jefferson

Annual MLK Parade presented by MCDCSCO, 3 p.m. Sunday at the Jefferson Community Center, 501 E. Hayward St., Jefferson.

Carthage

Carthage Courtesy Club 2024 MLK Jr. Celebration, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the downtown Carthage square, featuring vendors, music, food, and more.

Hawkins

Jarvis Christian University ‘Unity in the Community’ Prayer Breakfast honoring MLK Jr, 8:30 a.m. Saturday, at the university. Cost: $10, proceeds support JCU. Information: jarvis.edu.