The Selma Times-Journal

The honorable Robert “Bob” Armstrong, district court judge, will be guest speaker at the annual Selma Chapter of The Links, Inc. Martin Luther King Breakfast Monday, Jan. 16, at 7:30 a.m. at the Carl Morgan Convention Center.

The theme this year is “Building Unity One Link at a Time.”

“The breakfast was started as a symbol to promote friendship and harmony among the races in this community. Judge Armstrong was chosen as speaker this year because he is a person of great integrity who has, through the years, worked and touched all races and all ages of people in our area,” says Juanda Maxwell, president of the Links, Inc. Selma Chapter.

Armstrong is in line with a long list of previous speakers, including the Rev. Harold Carter, Attorney Patricia McCloud, Dr. Willie Larkin, Mrs. Vivian Malone, Ms. Nancy Worley, Judge Tommy Jones, Dr. Lonnie Edwards, Dr. James Mitchell, The Rev. John Ed Mathieson, Mayor James Perkins and Mrs. Gladys Vaughan, president of The Links, Inc.

The Links, Inc. has worked hard both culturally and civically to promote trends in the community to encourage unity, Maxwell says.

“This year, The Links will give two $500 scholarships to deserving students and $1,000 to the Bosco Center,” Maxwell said.

During this fiscal year, the Selma Chapter donated more than $1,500 to Hurricane Katrina Relief and plans to continue its support of victims of the disaster, according to Maxwell, who gave a brief review of the Chapter’s accomplishments:

More than 150 people were in attendance at the Walk-a-thon for Health;

At the annual Links Teen Summit in April more than 350 young people were hosted with workshops on topics relevant to teens;

In addition, the Chapter is partnering with International Paper Company on a project called “Coins for Kids” in Kenya, which solicits from the public coins to send to Kenya for support of meals in schools.

“Indirectly, we are promotion education for young African boys, and especially for girls, who probably would be at home working. But because meals are being served in the schools, their parents allow their daughters to attend with their sons. We are feeding hungry people and promoting education for young girls,” Maxwell says, adding that additional information will be given at the MLK Breakfast.

The following Distinguished Citizens will be named at the breakfast:

Annie Cooper, Humanitarian, Activist

Amelia Boynton Robinson, Civil Rights Leader, Humanitarian

Johnny Mae Carr, Humanitarian, Activist

Dr. Alston Fitts, Historian, Author, Humanitarian.

The public is invited.

For more information on obtaining tickets, call 334-874-2111, Charlotte Griffeth, chair.