MLK events honor local civil rights leaders

Of all the Martin Luther King Jr. celebrations each year, this one seems quite sentimental. The United States will inaugurate its first black president on Tuesday, a historic significance for every American. But on Monday, Baton Rouge will honor the civil rights movement’s peaceful hero, MLK, at an 8 a.m. service led by pastors Rene Brown and T.J. Jemison at Mount Zion Baptist Church, 356 East Blvd. A march will follow at the River Center downtown, lauding local leaders and activists, including attorney Johnnie Jones and the Rev. Betty Claiborne. Enjoy several performances and refreshments.