A pair of events originally scheduled to wrap up Black History Month will instead take place this weekend — a free sack lunch giveaway on Saturday followed by “The Hill We Climb” Black History Program on Sunday.
Saturday’s sack lunch giveaway will take place at the corner of 5th and Poplar streets beginning at noon. The event is sponsored by the Owensboro Black Expo, the H.L. Neblett Community Center and the Owensboro Neighborhood Alliance.
“Anybody who wants to come by can grab a sack lunch,” said Neblett Center Executive Director Olga McKissic.
The drive-in Black History program is set for Sunday at 6:30 in the Owensboro Sportscenter parking lot. McKissic said the event will allow everyone in attendance to remain safe from the comfort of their vehicles — where they can tune in to the radio for audio — while a 45-foot screen will display the guest speakers, singers and awards as they happen on stage.
Zion Church will present the “Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award” to Daviess County Judge-Executive Al Mattingly.
The Men’s Mass Community Choir will present “The Reverend George E. Riley on the Battlefield Award” to Brothers Richard E. Brown, Samuel Tandy, Tommy Howard, Dwight McFarland and Monroe Griffith.
The keynote speaker will be Owensboro High School Assistant Principal K.O. Lewis, and a rendition of “The Hill We Climb” poem will be performed by OHS senior Kaysia Harrington, who was recently accepted to Harvard University.
Titus Chapman & Friends and Chaun Paulk will hold musical performances and the event will be emceed by J’nayah Hall.
“We invite the entire community to this,” McKissic said. “We’d love for everyone to come out and fill up the parking lot.”
Those holding Sunday’s program ask that everyone wear face masks when out of their vehicles. Restroom facilities will be provided during the event.
