Martin Luther King, Jr., Day Celebration

All are welcome to join this family-friendly event co-sponsored by the Community Coalition for Social Justice and Main Street Morgantown, at the Metropolitan Theatre, 369 High St., Morgantown, WV on Monday, January 20, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. Admission is free, although donations are appreciated.

This year, in keeping with the theme “Courage To Be Free,” the Community Coalition for Social Justice (CCSJ) and Main Street Morgantown are pleased to present Ilene Evans, sponsored by The History Alive! Program of the West Virginia Humanities Council.

Ms. Evans offers a captivating and interactive portrayal of Harriet Tubman, a woman born into slavery but determined to live free or die, who courageously made her way to freedom and then returned to lead many more people out of slavery as a conductor on the Underground Railroad.

The program will also feature participation by a variety of talented people from our community, beginning with Mike Attfield and friends playing music in the lobby before the program begins. Bill Kawecki, Mayor of Morgantown, will open the program with a few words of welcome. He will be followed by Emily Spieler, one of the founding members of CCSJ, who will provide a brief history of CCSJ on the occasion of its 20th anniversary. There will be musical performances by Al Anderson and friends, as well as singing by the Cheat Lake Elementary School Choir. Jeremy Thomas will read the children’s book, Words Set Me Free, the story of young Frederick Douglass. Also, the winners of the NAACP student essay competition will read their essays. The program will conclude with everyone raising their voices together in song.