The River Parishes will be celebrating the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with events in St. John and St. Charles Parishes on Monday.

The West St. John Civic Association will be sponsoring a March and Memorial Program in memory and honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, JR. and his legacy. These events will be held on the national day of recognition set aside specifically for this purpose, Monday, January 21, 2008.

The Memorial March will begin at 12 noon from the Roland Borne Sr. Memorial Library located at 2979 Highway 18 in Edgard and will move east along River Road toward Edgard Courthouse.

The memorial program will begin immediately after the march at the West Bank Community Center located at 173 East 3rh St. Guest speakers for this event will be Reverend Neil Bernand and Dr. Janel Bailey Wheeler. The theme this year is “Embracing the Winds of Change.”

In Lutcher the Dr. Martin Luther King Commemorative Commission will hold their Annual Ecumenical Commemorative Program Monday, Jan. 21. The program will begin with a wreath laying ceremony at 9 a.m. at the intersection of King Avenue and Fifth Street followed by a march to King David Baptist Church at 2329 North King Avenue where the commemorative ceremony, “Make the Dream Real: Moving Forward, Looking Back-Celebrating His Spirit,” will begin at 9:15 a.m.

Former Talk-show host and Convent, LA native Truman Jacques will be the speaker.

Jacques, a graduate of Cypress Grove High School and Pepperdine University, was a community organizer in South Central Los Angeles before becoming an Emmy nominated television host/producer.