Saundria Wilson cannot think of a better way to invite citizens to start their day than with a free fellowship breakfast honoring Martin Luther King Jr. Jan. 16.
By 5:30 a.m. Monday, Wilson who is president of the Niles branch NAACP will be hard at work with other volunteers to prepare a breakfast of sausage, eggs, biscuits and gravy, which will be served from 7 to 10 a.m. at the Mount Calvary Baptist Church, 601 Ferry St. Speaker Rev. Bryant Bacon will address the crowd at 9:15 a.m. Participants can also browse a collection of historical materials featuring King and Rosa Parks, including posters, literature, stamps and photographs, courtesy of Louis Stennis, Jr. A film, music and trivia quiz will also be part of the activities.
Despite the early hour, Wilson said she will be “serving with a smile,” — the theme of this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. commemoration.
Approximately 70 people are expected to attend the free breakfast, including several city council members and possibly a representative from the Niles and Buchanan school districts.
It has been almost 50 years since Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in 1968. Still, King’s quest for equal rights and his message to work to serve others to make the community a better place continues to be an inspiration.
By holding an informal breakfast, where community members can come together, Wilson said, she hopes to help people become encouraged by King’s quest to create a better world for all citizens.
Following that theme, those who attend can participate in a brainstorming session to pitch their own ideas about improving their own community.
“This is a wide opportunity to do acts of service and kindness,” Wilson said. “And we want to do it with a smile.”
Collected in Stennis’ historical materials are a series of photographs that Stennis shot of Rosa Parks when she came to Niles to visit sometime in the 1990s.
Parks visited the Franklin AME church on Sycamore Street when her pastor and congregation visited Niles for a service.
“He has a wonderful collection,” Wilson said of the materials.
Donations are welcomed to support the NAACP. Businesses that are interested in donating food to the breakfast can contact Georgia Boggs at (269) 683-3873 or Wilson at (269) 357-4365.
For those who have yet to attend a commemoration or event to remember King, Wilson said she hopes to encourage people to attend breakfast.
“It is a wonderful way to reconnect and honor the leadership of Dr. King,” Wilson said. “[As well as those] who are living and dead who have and continued to work to improve civil rights for our citizens and our world. Just come out and have breakfast it is a great way to start your day.”