WILKES-BARRE -- Members of the NAACP in Wilkes-Barre say they are one step closer in their fight for what’s right. They want Wilkes-Barre city officials to close City Hall every year to mark Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday.
They say that's the right way to commemorate him and the city's new mayor says he'll fight to make it happen.
Inside the Mount Zion Baptist Church on Hill Street in Wilkes-Barre came music and dancing. It was a celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., slain civil rights leader.
“His work and all of his accomplishments impact every single one of us every day, you know? Without Martin Luther King and what he has done, I wouldn’t be standing here today. I wouldn’t have had as many opportunities as I’ve had. I wouldn’t even be considered equal,” said Emily Laurore, Wilkes-Barre NAACP youth president.
Members of the Wilkes-Barre chapter of the NAACP organized the service. They’re not attending Monday’s Martin Luther King program in Wilkes-Barre City Hall. They want city leaders to close offices in honor of the holiday.
“We have to keep trying. There were a lot of schools that weren`t closed before and they’re closed now, so we’re not going to give up,” Peggy Felton with Wilkes-Barre NAACP said.
Closing to mark Dr. King’s birthday is something Wilkes-Barre’s new mayor Tony George says he will work hard to do next year.
He was the keynote speaker at the service at Mount Zion Baptist.
“The time is always right to do what is right. Martin Luther king Jr.’s words resonate as much today as when he first spoke them. This is one of my favorite quotes, ‘Each day we make decisions that will affect not only ourselves but our communities, our families, and ultimately our great nation,’" George said.
There are other cities that stay open for business on Martin Luther King Jr. Day--Pottsville for one--but most others, including Williamsport and Scranton, close for the holiday and people we spoke with say they want the same in Wilkes-Barre.
“I think it’s important because it signals to the world, primarily to Luzerne County and the Commonwealth, but to the world, that we acknowledge Martin Luther King’s accomplishments,” said Guerline Laurore with the Wilkes-Barre NAACP.
