Doyle Center celebrates the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

The community gathered together on Monday to celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. at the Doyle Community Center. The center hosted a luncheon and guest speaker to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 20.

Martin Luther King Jr., an American Baptist minister, was the chief spokesperson for nonviolent activism in the Civil Rights Movement, which protested racial discrimination in federal and state law and civil society. The movement led to many groundbreaking legislative reforms in the United States, including labor rights and desegregation.

King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. He was 39 years old. Shortly after, a campaign began for a federal holiday in his honor. President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law in 1983, and it was first observed three years later on Jan. 20, 1986.

MLK Day is observed on the third Monday of January each year.

”This day is important, not only for remembering the life and work of Dr. King, but how his words still resonate in the hearts of so many people,” Mayor Joe Herring Jr. said in his introduction to the program.

The event’s guest speaker was the Rev. Amos D. Duncan, a minister and community leader from San Antonio. A graduate of Theodore Roosevelt High School, Duncan furthered his education at Huston-Tillotson College, Wayland Baptist University and St. Phillips College, focusing on social work, religion and humanities.

He is currently an associate minister at the Antioch Missionary Baptist Church.

“What I see in this room today is truly a reflection of the dream that Dr. King had,” Duncan said as he began his speech. “We are reminded of the impact one individual can have on the entire world.

“His message is as relevant today as it was then,” Duncan said of King’s iconic ‘I have a dream,’ speech. “His words have echoed through the ages, stirring the hearts of millions and reminding us all of our shared humanity.

“We continue to face systemic inequalities, racial injustice and social strife,” he said. “Dr. King’s life reminds us that change does not happen on its own. It requires our active participation, our own voices and our commitment to the cause of justice.”

King’s work extended beyond racial equality.

“He understood that economic injustice is intertwined with racial injustice,” Duncan said. “His latter years saw him advocate for workers rights and address issues such as poverty and war.”

The luncheon also featured “working man’s stew” to honor King’s commitment to the working class.

For more information on the Doyle Community Center and a schedule of events, email info@doylecommunitycenter.org or call 830-257-4446.

This article was originally published in the Jan. 23, 2025 edition of The Kerrville Daily Times.