[caption id="attachment_30909" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]<a href="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/mlk.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-30909"><img class="size-full wp-image-30909" src="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/mlk.jpg" alt="Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a familiar face in Beaufort County. His life will be celebrated on Monday, Jan. 18." width="1200" height="724" /></a> Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a familiar face in Beaufort County. His life will be celebrated on Monday, Jan. 18.[/caption]
<h3>By Sally Mahan</h3>
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a familiar face in the Beaufort area, particularly at the Penn Center on St. Helena Island. It was a safe haven and retreat for him until his death in 1968.

On Monday, Jan. 16, the Beaufort area and the country at large will celebrate the great civil rights leader’s life and legacy.

There will be a parade sponsored by the Beaufort County Ministerial Alliance, which has been organizing the event for more than 20 years. The parade will start at 10 a.m. at the Beaufort National Cemetery at Rogers and Boundary streets. It will wind around to Carteret and Bay streets, with many groups marching to show their love for Dr. King and their work on the struggles that are still going on today.

Other celebrations include a Community Sing from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 15, at the Penn Center at 16 Penn Center Circle West.

This live performance will feature music by local church choirs.

Because Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal holiday, all local, state and federal offices will be closed, along with public schools and many banks and businesses.

For updates on MLK Day activities, check The Island News Facebook page throughout the week at www.facebook.com/theislandnews.