In the News
Greenville county prepares to observe MLK Day for the first time
Published Friday January 13 2006
By KATRINA A. JACKSON
GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) - Even after every state and every other county in South Carolina had voted to officially observe the holiday marking the birth of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., Greenville County held out.
This year's MLK Dream Weekend will change all that, beginning Friday with a planned speech by King's youngest daughter, Bernice.
"Deep wounds do not heal easily, but I think this will be a first step toward some reconcilation and some positive things for Greenville County," said Lonnie Randolph, president of South Carolina's conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
After being pushed for years by the Rev. Jesse Jackson to change their policy, officials in the heavily Republican county voted last year to recognize the holiday, giving employees a paid holiday on the third Monday of January to remember King.
Jackson, a Greenville native and head of the national civil rights organization Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, will conduct a memorial workshop Sunday at a Simpsonville church.
"This does not gloss over the fact that there are still challenges that remain. We do have a long way to go, but I think it's one step closer to creating the type of dialogue that address issues that still exist in Greenville County," said the Rev. Curtis Johnson, who organized the weekend events.
The NAACP's Randolph said Greenville County was one of the last to observe the holiday because it is one of the most politically conservative areas of the state. It's also home to the Christian fundamentalist Bob Jones University, which banned interracial dating until 2000.
"It is an ultra neo-conservative county, and when you wear and carry that banner you try to flex your muscles in every way that you can," Randolph said.
Opponents had said the $134,000 cost of adding another holiday to the calendar was too much and passed a compromise allowing county workers to choose five of the 10 holidays the county would honor.
However, a 7-5 vote last February by the Greenville County Council ended years of wrangling over the holiday. All 46 South Carolina counties will officially celebrate MLK Day this year.
"I'll probably be working," said Bob Taylor, a member of the council who repeatedly opposed granting the holiday. "To the ordinary run-of-the-mill person, I think this will just be another day."
Black leaders hope the events surrounding the county's first observance of MLK Day will counter some of the negative attention the area received after its long fight over the holiday.
Civil rights leaders first fought for the holiday 19 years ago, but their efforts became more intense in recent years, especially after the number of other counties without a King holiday dwindled.
"There has always been a silent majority that has been in support of the holiday. However, the silent majority has been overruled by an elected few," Johnson said, "That silent majority has now spoken up to bring this day to pass."