The MLK Celebration Committee hosted a youth rally and vendor expo January 17 at Webster Junior High School, drawing a large crowd that filled the bleachers to support student performers and celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The program opened with a prayer by Ay’Ziya Yates, a senior at North Webster High School. Summer Willis, a senior at Minden High School, followed with a performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Rylee Banks, a third-grade student at Jones Elementary School, read the poem “Hey Black Child,” and TNT Stars Dancing Company presented a liturgical dance to “Together We Rise.”
Additional performances included a skit titled “Living Echo” by AKADEMY of Pearls Youth Leadership Institute, the Jones Elementary School choir singing “Rise Up,” and a choral reading of “Black is Me, Black is We” by the Rising Stars Mentorship Program. D’Cameron Franklin-Solomon, an eighth-grade student at Webster Junior High School, performed a solo, and The Delta Academy presented a trio performance of “New Orleans Jubilee.”
The event also featured motivational remarks from Elgin Moore, a teacher at Webster Junior High School.
Organizers said the rally provided an opportunity for the community to come together to support local youth while reflecting on the dream and message of Dr. King, emphasizing unity, encouragement and shared purpose across generations.
