By Laura Bilson
Charleston Gazette-Mail
Surrounded by friends and neighbors, Washington Manor residents Terri Singleton and Donna Badger line danced together in the gymnasium they have known most of their lives.
“I learned to swim in that swimming pool,” said Singleton, 53, referring to the pool outside the MLK Jr. Community Center in Charleston.
The MLK Jr. Community Center provides Charleston’s families a space to come together and serve one another through community events.
With the theme “The Dream in Action: Service, Hope and Community,” a free, family-friendly event on Monday, Martin Luther King Day, honored the life and legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. More than 350 children and families from across the Kanawha Valley attended the event.
The event was organized by the Charleston-Institute Chapter of The Links Inc. — a service organization for professional women of color focused on health, youth and human services.
Some of the event highlights included:
■ Youth performances
■ An MLK-themed scavenger hunt
■ Food backpack and book distribution to 150 children
■ A tribute to Kitty Dooley, a former Links member, Charleston businesswoman and community activist who died in 2025
■ A live collaborative community art piece led by local artist Ian Bode
■ A free mobile mammogram clinic
City Councilwoman Jennifer Pharr, who also is a member of the Charleston-Institute Chapter of The Links Inc., helped organize the event and was happy with the turnout.
“I’m just very appreciative to our chapter and community for making it a success,” Pharr said. “It’s a day of service.”
Martin Luther King Day, observed annually on the third Monday of January, was established as a national holiday in 1983 by President Ronald Reagan to honor King, a faith leader and civil rights advocate who was assassinated at age 39 in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968. But, according to the National Museum of African American History & Culture, the day of service and remembrance was not officially marked in all 50 states until 2000.
Other MLK remembrances
Also Monday, West Virginia State University President Ericke S. Cage was the keynote speaker at the 2026 Martin Luther King Day Ecumenical Service at First Baptist Church, 432 Shrewsbury St., in Charles-ton. He focused on the themes of unity, hope, community and progress.
Gov. Patrick Morrisey proclaimed Monday Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service in West Virginia, encouraging residents to honor King’s legacy through community service, engagement and remembrance.
“Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. devoted his life to advancing equal opportunity and calling our nation to live up to its founding ide-ls,” Morrisey said in a news release. “His message of unity, service and respect for human dignity continues to inspire Americans to strengthen their communities and work toward a more just society.”
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