Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s values remain constant in an ever-changing world, holiday volunteers in Mississippi say.
“There is never a time limit on participating in community service,” Erica Griggs, one of the organizers on hand at the Jan. 19 DeSoto County Annual MLK Jr. Unity Walk/5K in Southaven, Mississippi, told the Mississippi Free Press.
The national holiday honoring the famed civil-rights leader has prompted an array of celebrations over the years, with many—like this one that started in Southaven about a decade ago—incorporating charitable efforts. The event, channeled through the nonprofit Precious Pearls Foundation, helped generate $10,500 in local college scholarships last year. Additionally, the fundraiser has also supported efforts to prevent birth defects and to provide help for both veterans and the elderly.
During yesterday’s sunny but chilly morning, about 100 people participated in the 5k held at Snowden Grove Park. The run’s theme was unity, and in that spirit, members of the DeSoto County chapter of historically Black sorority Zeta Phi Beta volunteered for the event, manning the registration table and performing other tasks to keep the program moving smoothly.
Ashton Young, who stepped up to the front of the starting line alongside his friends Shedrick Day and Cordelro Day, viewed the run this close to New Year’s Day as an opportunity for the nation at large to climb higher toward fostering social harmony.
“It’s about King. He had a dream, and slowly but surely his dream is coming together, and it’s going to live out in all histories,” an encouraged Young said.
“For me, I see more people in the year 2026 come together more than ever,” Cordelro Day added. “I see more people loving everybody.”
Though Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2026 comes during a time of rising hate crimes and efforts to roll back diversity initiatives nationwide and on the state level, volunteers in Southaven on Monday were largely upbeat.
Erica Griggs said she believes that King, who would have turned 97 on Jan. 15, would be happy to see the progress the country has holistically made toward his aspirational goal of equality, despite the disheartening setbacks that sometimes make the news. While the country’s collective progressivism has areas in which it can improve, she notes, she suspects that King would be proud of how much his message continues to inspire and to resonate with so many people.
“The holiday offers a great opportunity to see many different people, even on a cold day,” Griggs said. “You see that there are still people who believe in King’s principles, especially kindness. For younger people, (King’s message) means seeing your potential capacity to make a difference, and for older people you see that you can still make a difference.”
Shelby Porter, 18, attended the run with her mom, Denise Porter, for the first time at the DeSoto event, though they had run in previous MLK holidays at a different charitable race in Memphis.
“King’s biggest emphasis was that we all should be ‘considered as one,’ and I think he’d be proud to see that the changes fought for have come to fruition,” Denise reflected.
Browse the photo gallery below to see more from the charitable 5k held in Dr. King’s memory.
