Tybee MLK to host annual Martin Luther King Jr. commemoration on Saturday

Tybee MLK, a human rights organization on Tybee Island, is holding their 11th annual commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday on Saturday, at the Tybee Post Theatre.

The free event will feature a parade at 2 p.m., on the theatre grounds with Superior Court Judge Tammy Stokes as the Grand Marshal.

"My initial reaction was, 'Are you talking to me?'" Stokes said. "But you know, I've been around for a long time, and I've worked in the community a lot over the years. I'm a big believer in giving back to the community, and we all have a part to play, and I think this is sort of the payback for that."

At 3 p.m., the human rights program will begin inside the theatre, featuring a posthumous honor to former Tybee Island Mayor Walker Parker Jr., with the Tybee MLK Legacy Award. Jeremy Altman will also be recognized with the Tybee Humanitarian Award for his work preserving and rehabilitating homes for the elderly and on the New Black History Trail.

Altman grew up in Georgetown, South Carolina and started working on houses as teenager. He said it has always been a passion of his, the history of houses and preserving that history.

"I don't do things for the accolades or to be in the spotlight," Altman said. "I appreciate the gesture. and I'm surprised they nominated me, but I'm just driven to help the people in the community, whether that be on Tybee or in Savannah."

The program will feature entertainment by the Sanfoka Center for the Arts and the Deep Center.