Courtesy of Bastrop Advertiser
Jan. 13, 2022
By Andy Sevilla
Bastrop is hosting its Martin Luther King Jr. celebration on Monday with the 33rd annual Walk for Peace, Justice and Equality, and a scaled back ceremony that will feature music and speeches by city and county officials and high school students.
Initially, residents interested in celebrating the life and work of the civil rights leader were going to be hosted at the Bastrop Convention Center after the annual peace walk for a ceremony commemorating Martin Luther King Jr. However, due to a rise in COVID-19 cases fueled by the omicron variant, only the walk will be held in-person as it will take place outdoors, and the ceremony will be live streamed for residents to watch.
The celebration will begin at 10 a.m. Monday at Paul Quinn AME Church, 1108 Walnut St., where guests will be welcomed by Cladie Johnson Haywood before beginning the peace walk through Bastrop with stops at Kerr Community Center, Mt. Rose Missionary Baptist Church, Emile Elementary School and Macedonia Baptist Church. At each stop, speakers will discuss the history of the buildings and organizations housed there which have historical significance to the African American community.
Once the peace walk concludes, the ceremony honoring King will begin at the Bastrop Convention Center, though it will only be open to those participating in the program. The ceremony will be live streamed on the city of Bastrop’s Facebook page and via Zoom. Anyone interested in preregistering for the Zoom live stream may do so at https://bit.ly/3r2dlug.
Bastrop City Council Member Dock Jackson will serve as master of ceremonies for the program. Nelia Kerr Greene will have a music prelude before the Bastrop County MLK Singers serenade viewers with the hymn “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing.”
The speakers for the event include Bastrop Mayor Connie Schroeder, Smithville Mayor Joanna Morgan, Smithville Mayor Pro Tem Bill Gordon, Elgin Mayor Ron Ramirez, County Judge Paul Pape, Bastrop High School student Dwayne Jackson, Cedar Creek High School student Ja’Faar Johnson, Smithville High School student LaDarian Sullivan, Colorado River Collegiate Academy student Mayra Marcelino, McDade High School student Christian Johnson and Elgin High School student Sebastian Jackson.
The annual walk’s theme is “A Day on … Not a Day Off!” Each year, a different city in Bastrop County hosts the peace walk and ceremony celebrating King’s life and work.
“The American people are called to engage in public service and promote nonviolent social change so that Dr. King’s unfinished movement toward equality can be achieved by our united, enduring efforts,” the city of Bastrop said in a proclamation recognizing Jan. 17 as Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
