Martin Luther King Jr. Day events set for Monday

ALBANY — Albany’s annual King Day celebration dinner will be held Monday beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Albany Civic Center. This year’s keynote speaker is Stephanie Finley, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana.

The King Day event seeks to recognize the efforts of late civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Each year at the King Day celebration, two adults and one youth are recognized for embodying the characteristics of the slain civil rights leader and for their servant leadership to the Albany community through the prestigious Dream Award.

Finley is the first woman to be appointed U. S. Attorney in Louisiana. She is responsible for federal prosecutions including terrorism, public corruption, child exploitation, firearms, narcotics, environmental crimes, civil rights and white collar crime. She was appointed by U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to serve as a member of the Attorney General Advisory Committee.

Before joining the U. S. Attorney’s office, Finley was on active duty with the United States Air Force, stationed at England Air Force Base in Louisiana and Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina. She is currently a lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force Reserves, where she is an assistant staff judge advocate.

Finley is a magna cum laude graduate of Grambling State University, where she received a bachelor of arts degree in political science, and was a cum laude graduate of Southern University Law Center. She was selected as one of the nation’s Distinguished Graduates of the Reserve Officer Training Corps, earning her juris doctorate in 1991.

Earlier in the day Monday, Flint River Habitat for Humanity’s Campus Chapter at Albany State University will gather for the second year to serve Albany and the local Habitat for Humanity community on needed projects.

Taking place each year on the third Monday in January, the MLK Day of Service is the only federal holiday observed as a national day of service. Flint River Habitat utilizes this “day off” for most as a “day on” of service, working side by side with its Campus Chapter.

Habitat officials say the MLK Day of Service is an opportunity to take the memory and teaching of King into the community, empowering individuals and strengthening communities, both important to King, Albany State University’s Campus Chapter and Flint River Habitat for Humanity.

Students will participate in projects at Habitat’s administrative office and ReStore, along with building specific projects at the site of one of the homes being completed for a potential new homeowner in the local program.

“MLK Day of Service expects to bring over 30 students to help complete necessary projects to the success of our mission,” Lauren Welch, Flint River Habitat’s development and finance manager, said. “We are thankful for the continued relationship and opportunity to serve together.”