The Bastrop County Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Commission will host this year’s MLK walk and celebration Jan. 20 in Bastrop.

What’s happening

Dock Jackson, founder and coordinator of the event, said the theme is “Remember, celebrate, act. A day on, not a day off.”

Jackson said the walk is for peace, justice and equality, which the commission hopes will continue to educate the next generation about King and his fight for equal rights.

“It is important that we continue to educate our youth and future generations about the civil rights struggle that Dr. King and others led,” Jackson said in a news release. “He gave the ultimate sacrifice to pave the way for the freedoms so many of us enjoy today."
The Bastrop County MLK event will kick off on Jan. 20 at 10 a.m. (Courtesy Terry Hagerty/City of Bastrop)
The Bastrop County MLK event will kick off Jan. 20 at 10 a.m. (Courtesy Terry Hagerty/city of Bastrop)
The details


The walk will start at the Paul Quinn African Methodist Episcopal Church at 10 a.m. From there, attendees will head to the Bastrop Convention and Exhibit Center, where the celebration will kick off at 11 a.m.

Jackson said attendees can expect tributes and speeches from local leaders and students, as well as music and light refreshments.
The Bastrop County MLK event will kick off on Jan. 20 at 10 a.m. (Courtesy Terry Hagerty/City of Bastrop)
The Bastrop County MLK event will kick off on Jan. 20 at 10 a.m. (Courtesy Terry Hagerty/city of Bastrop)
How to help

Jackson said that monetary donations will be collected during the event for Bastrop County seniors applying to college or trade schools. The seniors must be graduating from one of the following six schools:
  • Bastrop High School
  • Cedar Creek High School
  • Colorado River Collegiate Academy
  • Elgin High School
  • McDade High School
  • Smithville High School
Those who want to send donations before or after the event can mail them to the Bastrop County Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Commission Scholarship Fund, P. O. Drawer X, Bastrop, TX 78602. Jackson said donors should note which school they would like their donation to go toward, or if they would like it to be divided among all six schools.
The Bastrop County MLK event will kick off on Jan. 20 at 10 a.m. (Courtesy Terry Hagerty/City of Bastrop)
The Bastrop County MLK event will kick off on Jan. 20 at 10 a.m. (Courtesy Terry Hagerty/city of Bastrop)
A quick note

Questions about the event or donations can be directed to Jackson by phone at 512-308-2213, Bettye Lofton at 512-963-2721, or Jill Strube at 512-237-3282, ext. 2109.
  • Jan. 20, 10 a.m. (walk), 11 a.m. (celebration)
  • Free (admission)
  • Paul Quinn African Methodist Episcopal Church, 1108 Walnut St., Bastrop (walk); Bastrop Convention Center, 1408 Chestnut St., Bastrop (celebration)
  • www.smithvilletx.org/bastrop-county-mlkday