Events set to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Martin Luther King Jr. birthday celebrations are scheduled across eastern New Mexico this week and next.

In Portales, the Martin Luther King Jr. Day activities start 10 a.m. Monday with a march starting at the Roosevelt County Museum at Eastern New Mexico University.

The parade includes the Cannon Air Force Base Honor Guard and members of the Portales Marching Band.

The march continues from ENMU to the Memorial Building.

Portales High School Choir Director Franklin Smith said the choir has been learning a new songs for a rally at the Memorial Building.

“We’re going to sing ‘Down to the River to Pray’ and ‘We’re Not Alone,’” Smith said. “They are just a couple of spiritual-type songs. One of the songs is from last semester and the other we’ve been working on since the spring semester in January.”

In Clovis, the annual scholarship breakfast is Saturday at Clovis High School.

“Our guest speaker is Joe Campos and will be giving awards to students who entered the speech and poster contest,” said Joyce Pollard, president of the Clovis Dr. Martin Luther King Commission.

The Art Club from the Arts Academy at Bella Vista will be performing before the breakfast.

Also, posters created by students will be on display.

There is a walk in Clovis starting at 9 a.m. Monday to commemorate King’s walk from Selma to Montgomery, Ala.

“We have a monument of Martin Luther King Jr. at Potter Park,” Pollard said. “Then we’ll go from there over to Lincoln-Jackson school where we will be entertained by students. The rally will end at Clovis Christian School and our guest speaker there is Raymond Beachum.”

Schedule of events

Portales

Monday

• 10 a.m. — March starting at Roosevelt County Museum at ENMU up First Street to Abilene Street, then to Memorial Building.

• 10:45 a.m. — Invocation by Galen Isaacs

• 10:55 a.m. — PHS Marching Band. Directed by Jennifer Johnson.

• 11:10 a.m. — Honorary speaker Frederick Arnold, municipal judge

• 11:25 a.m. — Viewing of “The Meeting.” Dr. King meeting with Malcom X

• 12:45 p.m. — Panel discussion of “The Meeting.” Moderated by Don Elder.

• 1:30 p.m. — Art awards with L.L. Brown, Steiner and R.M. James schools

• 1:45 p.m. — Closing: PHS Chorale directed by Franklin Smith.

• 2 p.m. — Benediction by Galen Isaacs

Clovis

Monday

• 9 a.m. — Commemorative walk starting at Potter Park. Rally features speaker Raymond Beachum.