DeKalb to honor three community leaders during 40th Annual MLK Celebration Jan. 11

DEKALB COUNTY, GA– Three local public servants will be recognized for their humanitarian work on Thursday, Jan. 11, during DeKalb County’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration program.
The program, titled “It Starts with Me: Shifting the Cultural Climate Through the Study and Practice of Kingian Nonviolence,” will be held Thursday, Jan. 11, 11 a.m., at the Maloof Auditorium, 1300 Commerce Drive, Decatur.

Three people will be honored with the Nathaniel Mosby Humanitarian Award, which celebrates the recipients’ commitment to tireless community service and outstanding dedication to being an agent for positive change. The recipients will be:

· Dr. Tommie C. Smith, a legendary 1968 Olympian who raised a clinched fist covered in a black leather glove in a historic stand for black power, liberation, and solidarity.

· Bobbie Sanford, a longtime DeKalb County real estate agent and community activist.

· Larry Tinsley, gospel radio personality who was inducted into the Georgia Radio Hall of Fame in 2015.

The King Day charge will be delivered by Georgia State Rep. Carl W. Gilliard, chairman of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus. Special musical guests will be jazz vocalist Karla Harris, accompanied by keyboardist Tyrone Jackson.

The 2024 tribute marks the 40th consecutive year DeKalb will host the employee-planned event honoring the life and legacy of Dr. King.

The celebration is free and open to the public.