ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - The cold didn’t stop dozens of people from across South Georgia from celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Shiloh Baptist Church and SOWEGA Rising, honored the late civil rights activist on Monday with a series of events.

It began with a program at the church. Attendees then walked in the footsteps of Dr. King to the Charles M. Sherrod Civil Rights Park. A rally was held at the park in remembrance of the work done for civil rights and to remind others of the work that still needs to be done for equality and justice.

Illustrious Potentate Michael Coley with the Al Rakim temple 142 said the holiday was not just a day off.

“A lot of people want to think of it as a day off. I think it’s a day on, a day of service. but it is also a day of remembrance of those that have come before us. We have to continue to fight for equality. We have to continue to fight for the same opportunities.”

Dr. King brought national attention to Albany when he visited in December 1961.

He along with other civil rights leaders advocated desegregating the city’s travel centers, freeing over 500 jailed protesters and opening negotiations for civil rights. King was arrested on Dec. 16, 1961 and jailed for 45 days before being released. He would be arrested two more times the following year in 1962.

Even after Dr. King’s departure from Albany local civil rights leaders continued to advocate for equality.

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