With more than 60 entries, the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade returned to downtown Hinesville on Monday morning, capping a weekend of events honoring the late civil rights leader.

Dr King’s connection to Liberty County remains vibrant – he visited Dorchester Academy in Midway and it was there he and other leaders planned their strategy for the civil rights march on Birmingham, Alabama. Dr. King also took time to play softball and basketball with some of the younger people around, including a then-teenaged Al Williams.

“This is personal for me,” Williams told the crowd at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church for Sunday’s Martin Luther King Jr. commemorative service.

Williams, a longtime state representative, also said Monday, the day set aside to mark Dr. King’s birthday across the nation, was not a day off but rather a day for to keep working to make the world “a better place for everybody.”

Hermon Scott, pastor of Baconton Missionary Baptist Church, delivered the keynote address at Sunday’s event.

Festivities began Friday night, and continued Saturday morning with a leadership breakfast, with Savannah Mayor Van Johnson delivering the keynote address, and the Youth Explosion on Saturday evening at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church.

“We had a great time all weekend long,” said Alvin Jackson, pastor of St Luke Missionary Baptist Church and chairman of the Liberty County Martin Luther King Jr Observance Association.

This year’s theme was “Reconciling Our Differences As We Unite and Renew the Dream.”

Lewis Levine contributed to this story.

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