Federal, state and local government offices in Somerset County will be closed Monday for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, which honors the life and work of the late civil rights leader.
The U.S. Postal Service will not offer mail delivery or other retail services that day, and PennDOT driver’s license and photo centers will be closed from Saturday through Monday in observance of the federal holiday. Driver and vehicle registration renewals and other forms and publications are available online for customers who need those services.
The Somerset County courts and related offices are also closed Monday, according to the county government website. Most local banks will be closed that day as well.
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MLK program honors ‘Community’ and the ‘Legacy of Resiliency’
The Johnstown Branch NAACP and the Johnstown Symphony Orchestra (JSO) have planned a special music concert and program at 3 p.m. Sunday to honor Martin Luther King Jr. and remember the 60th anniversary of the historic civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.
The event is being held at the Greater Johnstown High School auditorium, 222 Central Ave.
“Come and experience unity in the community as we honor Dr. King and recognize his contribution to nonviolence and his contributions to civil rights for all people in the United States,” said Alan Cashaw, president of the Johnstown Branch NAACP.
The music concert, titled ‘Community,’ includes selections performed by four local adult and youth choirs: the Johnstown Symphony Chorus, Inclined to Sing children’s chorus, the newly formed Flood City Youth Fitness Academy Chorus and the Greater Johnstown Community Choir.
“We will feature several traditional spirituals, as well as an early-career work for chorus by American composer Julia Perry … whose music is now nominated for a Grammy for the first time in history,” said James Blachly, JSO music director, in a release announcing the concert.
The theme for the program is ‘I am the Legacy of Resiliency,’ which “suggests a strong declaration of endurance, adaptability and the ability to overcome challenges,” according to a summary provided by the Johnstown Branch NAACP.
“This legacy can also reflect the impact of resilience on future generations, emphasizing the importance of perseverance and strength in facing life’s difficulties.”
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Remembering the Selma to Montgomery march
Jymil Thompson, superintendent of schools for the Dorchester County Public Schools in Maryland, will give the keynote address. Thompson has over 20 years of experience in K-12 education and served in a number of administrative positions in Colorado, Washington, D.C., and Maryland.
The program also includes a reading that honors the 60th anniversary of the historic Selma to Montgomery civil rights march, in which King and approximately 25,000 supporters, both Black and white, walked 54 miles across Alabama to protest the killing of a young Black man and demand changes to discriminatory practices across the nation at that time that prevented voter registration among Black people.
“The Legacy of Resilience describes Dr. King,” Cashaw said. “Over time, he demonstrated resilience by not giving up on (efforts to achieve) civil rights and voter registration.”
Tickets to the concert and program can be purchased in advance through the Johnstown Symphony Orchestra website. On Sunday, the Johnstown Branch NAACP will sponsor general admission tickets for $5 at the door starting at 2 p.m., while supplies last.
“We are inviting all parents and their children to come out and enjoy (the event),” Cashaw said.
This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Johnstown groups to give choral music concert honoring MLK Jr.