Community Corner

Cherokee To Come Together For MLK Unity Breakfast

The annual breakfast, which promotes unity and tolerance among Cherokee County residents, will be held next Saturday in Canton.

Cherokee County's annual event to recognize the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will take place next weekend. 

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Unity Breakfast, coordinated by Allen Temple AME Church in Woodstock, will be held 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday Jan. 19 at the Northside Hopsital-Cherokee Conference Center in Canton.

The event is free and open to the public.

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The unity breakfast will bring together local elected officials as well as "hundreds of residents from all racial, political, social and religious backgrounds to promote unity among the citizens of the county," according to the church's press release. 

Sherri Monger, the chair of the event, said about 600 people are expected to attend this year's festivities. 

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Fox 5 Atlanta anchor Deidra Dukes will emcee the event this year while Stephon Ferguson will serve as the motivation speaker.

Guests will enjoy a complimentary breakfast as well as performances by dynamic speakers, musical groups and other performances.

Cherokee Chorale, Freedom Middle School's chorus and Hand In Praise Liturgical Dance are all slated to perform.

Canton Mayor Gene Hobgood, Woodstock Mayor Donnie Henriques and Cherokee County Chairman Buzz Ahrens also will be on hand for this year's breakfast. 

This year's theme is “Speaking With One Voice" and will commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the American Civil Rights Movement.

During the event, the MLK Unity Award will be presented to a person who "has made a positive impact on the county by fostering harmonious racial and cultural relations."

Established in 1999 by Allen Temple Pastor Carl A. Moore Sr., the award recognizes the contributions of a person in the community who has made a positive impact by promoting "harmonious racial and cultural relations."

The nomination period for the award closed on Dec. 31. 

Monger added there is no other event like this in Cherokee County that allows residents to "come away...feeling enlightened by the experience."

"We feel like we are doing what Dr. Martin Luther King's vision was, which was for all of us to come together and have tolerance for everyone’s differences," she said. "We are more alike than we are different.” 


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