Jacksonville NAACP celebrates legacy of Dr. King with growing community event
By Ben Cox
Photos/Submitted to The Source and Ben Cox
More than 100 people gathered Monday, Jan. 19, at the Jacksonville Community Center in Community Park for the Jacksonville branch of the NAACP’s 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration, marking continued growth for an event that began with only a few dozen attendees in its earliest years.
The morning began at 10 a.m. with a caravan from Mt. Emory Baptist Church to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial monument on the north side of Community Park. Community members participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at the monument before traveling to the Community Center for the main program at 11 a.m. In its early years, the community used to walk from the church, but due to wanting to be more inclusive and January’s usually cold temperatures, the caravan has been more successful at rallying the community to participate.
Following light refreshments, Mt. Emory Baptist Church Pastor Johnny Nichols opened the celebration with prayer, encouraging those in attendance to give thanks and to reflect on Dr. King’s enduring legacy. Nichols thanked attendees for braving cold and windy weather to honor the civil rights leader.
Naomi Trotter of the Crisis Center Foundation, who also serves as acting secretary of the Jacksonville NAACP, read scripture from Galatians 3:28, highlighting unity and equality. Vivian Brown of the Jacksonville NAACP served as emcee, welcoming the audience and noting that City of Jacksonville Mayor Andy Ezard was unable to attend due to illness in his family but remained supportive of the annual celebration.
Musical selections were provided by the Jacksonville High School Madrigal Choir under the direction of Stephanie Soltermann. The choir performed two selections that were warmly received by the audience.
Alberta Robinson, president of the Jacksonville NAACP and president of the Jacksonville African American History Museum, spoke on the importance of preserving local Black history. Robinson discussed the museum’s mission and an upcoming partnership with Illinois College aimed at expanding educational programming and community involvement.
Dr. Brittany Yancey of Illinois College followed with remarks outlining details of the partnership and previewing programs planned at the museum during 2026.
Additional performances included a praise dance by the Jacksonville House of Worship Church of God in Christ Praise Dancers, and a solo clarinet and vocal performance by worship pastor Michael Bell of the House of Worship. Cynthia Morgan of the Jacksonville NAACP also shared poetry inspired by themes from Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
Longtime Jacksonville NAACP member Polly Williams introduced keynote speaker Monique Davis, a reporter with WICS Newschannel 20, who spoke on the continued relevance of Dr. King’s message in today’s world. She also said that early on in her journalism career she realized the importance of representation, telling of two school-aged children who noticed her giving the news on their street one morning.
The program concluded with a group singing of the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” followed by a closing prayer from Pastor Jim Burries of the House of Worship.
After the program, Robinson reflected on the event’s growth over the years, noting the large attendance at this year’s event. She hopes that the program continues to grow each year as people understand King’s legacy and its importance.
