The weekend leading up to Monday’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day will be a busy one for area churches and organizations. Several ceremonies and celebrations are planned throughout the Black Belt.

In Marengo County, the Rev. Mitchell Congress said his church plans to hold a special service to honor the civil rights leader.

“We are going to hold a special service during our morning worship to honor him,” Congress said. “We are going to honor Dr. King’s life and his work.”

Morning Star Baptist Church of Demopolis also plans a special service Sunday at 6 p.m.

The Safe House Black History Museum in Greensboro will open its doors to the public Monday. Theresa Burroughs, who helps oversee the museum, said they encourage everyone to come by Monday and celebrate with them.

Theresa Burroughs, who helps run the museum, said they hope to see a good crowd.

“We will have the museum open all day,” Burroughs said. “We will be open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. and we will be playing speeches by Dr. King all day long.”

Burroughs said they are also asking everyone to turn their headlights on as a symbol of unity.

In Greene County, the celebration will last all weekend.

The Greene County Chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference will celebrate the birthday of Dr. King beginning Saturday, Jan. 14 and running through Jan. 16.

Greene County Chapter President Spiver W. Gordon said this years celebration is all about bringing people together.

“The theme for this year’s program is ‘Lets turn to each other and not on each other,” Gordon said. “Each of these programs will focus on the increased level of violence and crime that Greene County has experienced this past year.”

The program will kickoff this morning with youth conflict resolution workshops. The program will take place from 9 a.m. until noon at the Oscar William Community Center in the Branch Heights Community.

Sunday, a salute to West Alabama Women Achievers is planned at the First Baptist Church at 5 p.m. Johnnie Knott will be the guest speaker.

The celebration will wrap up Monday with a full day of programs. At 8:30 a.m., the Eutaw Activity Center will host a Freedom Unity Breakfast with Rev. James Posey Jr. as the guest speaker. A freedom march to the courthouse will follow at 10 a.m.

The program will end with a countywide freedom rally and salute to West Alabama Men Achievers from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Mr. Roger Wilson, a movie producer from New York, will serve as the guest speaker.

Each of these programs is free and open to the public. There will be food, music and lots of fun.

For more information, please call Gordon at (205) 372-3446.