Wilmington community celebrates annual MLK Banquet

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Martin Luther King Jr. Day is more than just one day of celebration.

The Wilmington community has held events every day this week leading up to Monday.

On Friday night, Hotel Ballast in downtown Wilmington hosted the annual MLK Banquet.

An event organizer says they have been holding the banquet for almost 20 years. Leaders from all over the city came out to show their support.

One of the guest speakers at the event was Executive Director of the National Council of Negro Women Janice Mathis. She says MLK Day is more than just a holiday.

“It reminds us of what the country is built on,” Mathis said. “We’re a unique nation. We’re not built on religion, or a language, or even a color or a creed, but we’re built on a set of principles about equal opportunity and due process and fair play. That’s what Dr. King’s day reminds us of.”

Mathis says her organization focuses on voter education and entrepreneurship.

WWAY’s very own meteorologist Monique Robinson emcee’d Friday night’s event.