Contributed KING REMEMBERED — Students and leaders from throughout the Steubenville area attended last year’s Martin Luther King Day event at the Sycamore Youth Center. This year, organizers are anticipating many more children in kindergarten through 12th grade will participate in Saturday’s Youth and Children’s Day, which will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

STEUBENVILLE — The vision of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. remains a guiding light for residents across the Tri-State Area.

His message of unity and hope will be at the forefront of this weekend’s commemorative events.

While decades have passed since King first shared his dream, local leaders are emphasizing how his calls for justice and togetherness are more vital now than ever before as families navigate the modern challenges of daily life.

Activities are planned Saturday, Sunday and Monday in Steubenville and Weirton as part of this year’s observance of King’s birthday.

The weekend of remembrance will include a call to unity on Sunday, when the Martin Luther King Jr. Association of Steubenville presents its annual ecumenical memorial service at 6 p.m. Hosted at the Second Baptist Church, located at 717 Adams St., the service aims to bring the community together under the theme, “Mission Possible II: Building Community, Uniting a Nation the Non-Violent Way.”

The evening will feature a keynote address by the Rev. Rudy McAllister of the Mount Olive Baptist Church in Weirton.

James Baber, president of the association, said the purpose of this weekend is to keep King’s dream alive by addressing the real-world needs of today’s citizens. Baber noted that in a world where many are struggling with the basics — from finding stable housing to putting food on the table — the community must unite to support one another.

Baber expressed that King’s vision was not just about hope for the future, but about a present responsibility to ensure that no one is ever left behind.

“Our children are our tomorrow,” Baber stated, emphasizing that the responsibility to instill these values rests on the shoulders of the community.

He observed that while there are many distractions that can lead today’s youth astray, they remain on the path toward a better future.

It is this focus on the next generation that led to the partnership for Saturday’s Youth and Children’s Day event at the Sycamore Youth Center, located at 301 N. Fourth St.

Running from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the activities are designed to inspire local students from kindergarten through 12th grade.

Bobbyjon Bauman, executive director of the Sycamore Center, explained the day is a celebration of King’s legacy. The event will incorporate music, faith and service into its planned activities.

One of the afternoon’s highlights will be guest speaker Nickayla Wiggins of WTOV-TV. Bauman said she plans to highlight how King’s influence shaped her own professional path.

The spirit of service that Baber and Bauman champion will be put into action throughout the event.

From 11 a.m. to noon, attendees will enjoy performances by local talents, including Elisha Fletcher, Gene “Minister of Truth” Shelby, Lawrence Lewis Jr., the Mighty Disciples, My Team and the Next Level Community Choir.

Following a free luncheon at the Sycamore center, the focus will shift to a community service project where participants will assemble food bags for area children in need.

Baber expressed his gratitude to the Sycamore center for keeping the area’s youth focused on these principles of service and equality.

He concluded that King was determined to keep the dream alive, and that same determination is required today to build a community where everyone is valued and supported.

Whether through a prayer at the Second Baptist Church or through the packaging of food at Sycamore, King’s message remains the same today as was the case decades ago: Unity is the only way forward, Baber added.

On Monday, MLK Day activities will include an annual walk, a luncheon and a special readers’ theater presentation in Weirton.

Participants in the walk, which is scheduled to start at 11 a.m., will travel from the Christ the King Family Worship Center, located at 3176 Weir Ave., to the Dunbar Recreation Center, located at 300 Kessel St., where the play “Wanted by the FBI: James Earl Ray” will be performed by members of the Wayward Saints theatrical troupe.

Written by local writer and actor Pete Fernbaugh, the play, which will be presented in a readers’ theater format, recounts the events leading up to and the fallout from King’s assassination on April 4, 1968, in Memphis.

“Most people know the general facts about King’s assassination,” Fernbaugh said. “What may not be remembered was the perfect storm that coalesced around the tragedy, from George B. Wallace’s presidential campaign to King’s final sermon, delivered the night before his death, in which he ominously predicted that he would not be around to lead the civil rights movement to the mountaintop of freedom and victory.

“The manhunt for James Earl Ray lasted nearly two months and crossed the Atlantic. Meanwhile, Coretta Scott King was carrying on her husband’s mission despite the imminent danger to her and her children. And then, there are the questions surrounding the FBI’s investigation, about which even the House Select Committee on Assassinations expressed reservations in 1979. While we explore all of these twists and turns, our goal remains the same: To present the historical facts within the context of King’s fight for equality and philosophy of nonviolence,” he added.

The cast features Jalen Mccrary as King Jr., Linda Spencer as Coretta Scott King and David Gaudio as James Earl Ray, with Rob DeSantis, Bethany Fernbaugh, Robert J. Gaudio and Nathaniel McClendon. Bethany Fernbaugh and Malachi McClendon round out the cast as the storytellers.

“The Dunbar Recreation Center is looking forward to honoring King on Monday,” said Earlean Jones, president of the center, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2021.

Officials with the center and the Cloak and Daggar Company, co-sponsors of the events, said unfavorable weather conditions Monday could lead to the walk being canceled. They said updates would be posted on Facebook Sunday night. Whether the walk is held or not, the luncheon and play will be presented at noon, they said.

“This day is just a small part of the legacy King left behind and shows togetherness among all people,” Jones said. “We want to promote this spirit of unity right here in Weirton.”