Best-selling author Nic Stone comes to Marion to celebrate MLK Day

To celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., Marion organizations are hosting local events on Monday, including a community breakfast and an MLK program at the Marion Palace Theater with a keynote presentation by the best-selling author of the New York Times, Nick Stone.

The Committee for Peace and Freedom joined with the Marion Public Library to organize Remembrance Day and received support through a Racial Equity and Justice Grant from the Marion Community Foundation to bring the author black to Marion for MLK Day events.

A Georgia native and author of young adult and middle-aged novels, Stone is best known for her debut novel Dear Martin and his college debut, Clean Getaway. His most recent work, Not fast, was released in August.

Additionally, before Stone takes to the palace stage on Monday, local youngsters who have been selected as winners of an art, poetry and public speaking competition centered on dreams of peace, freedom and King Jr. tie will be celebrated and awarded prizes.

Oratory winners will even be able to share on stage.

Committee for Peace and Freedom event organizer Tara Dyer said the events went through with great collaboration within the community.

“Well done to the library! Thanks to the Marion Community Foundation for providing grants that allow us to bring in a renowned author like Nic Stone. We feel so privileged and the collaboration with the library has been amazing,” said Dyer.

Beginning the morning with a paid Community Breakfast at 9 a.m., members of the public are invited to congregate at the Marion Palace Theater at 10 a.m. for the MLK program, including Stone’s keynote presentation at 10:30 a.m.

COVID-19 presented challenges to event organizers when making the final decision on whether or not to go ahead with the events.

After weighing this difficult decision due to the skyrocketing omicron variant, organizers have decided to keep the breakfast and schedule going, but are taking the “highest precautions,” Dyer explained.

Originally planning to host 400 people over breakfast, the Peace and Freedom Committee capped sales at 220 people to allow for social distancing. Masks will be needed when not eating or drinking.

Community members are given the flexibility to participate in the events based on their individual comfort level, with some who originally planned to attend the breakfast choosing to only participate in the program instead, according to Dyer.

After not being able to hold the event last year due to COVID, Marion Public Library communications manager Diane Watson said library staff are thrilled to finally be able to hold the event. This year.

“We are thrilled to see the kids excited and connected and to allow him to speak at the Peace and Freedom Martin Luther King Breakfast Program and of course to have it all as part of a larger community,” said Watson. .

Later Monday, the Marion Public Library will host a book signing event with Stone from 2-3:30 p.m. and copies of Fast Pitch will be available for the first 200 students ages 9-14 at the event for her to sign.

“We’re looking forward to bringing it in, especially for middle-aged kids to connect with an author they might know – that’s probably the best part of what we’re seeing – and it also coincides with the day of Martin Luther King., which makes it even better,” Watson said.

Although it’s a day off from work or school for the most part, Dyer said the importance of the opportunity to remember King’s work shouldn’t be seen as a day off. , but as an opportunity to invite the community to dive deeper.

“I’m not taking this day off. I don’t consider it a day off. I view this as a moment not just for what Martin Luther King did not just for our country, but for the world,” she said.

Story by: Sophia Veneziano (740) 564 – 5243 | sveneziano@gannett.com