KENANSVILLE — Duplin County will celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King on Monday, Jan. 18. It will mark the 10th anniversary of the celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Day in Duplin County.

The first town to commemorate MLK Day was Magnolia on Jan. 17, 2000 at the Florence H. Gallier Library. The theme was “A Spirit of Unity in the 21st Century.” The second town to hold a celebration was Warsaw. The two towns continued to have programs until three years ago when all towns were invited to join together to honor Dr. King as a county-wide event. The theme was “A Spirit of Unity in Duplin.”

Last year, Jan. 19, 2009, the theme changed to “A Focus on Youth.” On this occasion, 20 Duplin youth were presented in a formal setting as the “Leaders of Tomorrow.”

On Monday, at 10 a.m., this year’s celebration will be held at the Lois Britt Center (Duplin Commons) in the Ed Emory Auditorium in Kenansville, N.C. with a focus again on youth leaders.

Domenic Brown, meteorologist, WCTI Channel 12 TV will be the special guest. Entertainment will be provided by citizens from across the county. The public is invited to attend and support our youth as they strive to lead and succeed. FMI, contact Delilah Gomes or Thomasina Williams at 910-289-4390, co-chairs of the MLK Commemoration Day Committee.