NATCHEZ — Miss-Lou residents have a chance to participate in three area events commemorating this year’s celebration of the legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day and will mark what would be the famous Civil Rights Movement activist’s 83rd birthday.

The Natchez branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People will have its 11th annual banquet at 7 p.m. on Sunday at the Natchez Community Center.

The banquet’s keynote speaker is Joyce Johnson, interim superintendent for the Natchez-Adams School District. Tickets are $15 per person and can be purchased from a NAACP member.

For additional information about the banquet, call Katie Ruth Moore at 601-445-5957

The Natchez Association for the Preservation of African American History and Culture will hold its 19th annual youth luncheon at the Natchez Convention Center on Monday.

Seating will begin at 10 a.m., and the luncheon will feature talent performances from several of the community’s youth.

Tickets are $11 per person. NAPAC Director Darrell White said he is requesting that people unable to attend the luncheon consider sponsoring a child to attend the event.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade will immediately follow the luncheon. The parade will assemble on the bluff north of Franklin Street at 1:30 p.m. and proceed up Franklin Street to Martin Luther King Jr. Street and end at Minor Street.

No registration requirements or fees are required to participate in the parade. Community churches, organizations and businesses are invited to participate.

White said it is important community members participate in Martin Luther King Jr. Day events to continue to acknowledge King’s contributions to history and to reinforce that his sacrifice was not in vain.

“Lack of knowledge of one’s history is like a tree with no roots,” White said. “In order to grow and be strong as a community, we must acknowledge the sacrifices made by previous generations to get us to where we are today.”

“Let’s not make it a holiday for a day off, but a day on toward making the dream a reality,” White said.

For additional information regarding any of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day events, call the NAPAC museum at 601-445-0728.