Each year the Texoma community comes together for a celebration of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Austin College is proud to host this event and to help raise scholarship funds to benefit college-bound residents of Grayson County through the NAACP Grayson Branch Scholarship.
2023 Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration
Monday, January 16
11 am-noon.
Austin College | Ida Green Communication Center
1201 E. Brockett Street
Sally and Jim Nation Theatre
Suggested Donation: $5
Benefiting Grayson County NAACP Scholarship Fund
Donate now
Sponsorship Opportunity
The MLK team is excited to offer sponsorships for the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration this year. We invite local businesses to be a part of this celebration! Being a sponsor for the event allows you to represent your commitment to supporting access to diverse educational opportunities within our community. Your donation will go directly to the NAACP Grayson County scholarship fund.
Contact Us if you have any questions.
2023 Speakers
James Petty, Grayson County Veterans Services Officer
Jimmy Petty was born in Laundsthul, Germany and graduated Rockdale High School in 1976. He graduated from the United States Military Academy Prep School at Ft. Monmouth New Jersey in 1981 and served 6 years in the army, advancing to the rank of Captain. Afterward, he worked 13 years as a manufacturing manager with Procter and Gamble Corporation. In May of 1993, Petty accepted a call to the Ministry. He attended Dallas Theological Seminary from 2000 to 2005, graduating with a Master of Theology degree in Pastoral Studies. He has served as the Grayson County Veterans Services Officer since 2010 and is a founding member & current Board of Directors member for Grayson County Veterans Treatment Court. Petty has been the Pastor of Samaria Baptist Church since 2004. He has been married to wife, Gail, for 41 years, and has two grown children. Petty and his wife have lived in Sherman since 1990.
Rebecca Osei ’23
Rebecca is a senior from Dallas, Texas majoring in Public Health and minoring in Non-Profit Organizations and Public Service (NPOPS). She is currently a Service Station Board member and a Peer Writing Assistant at the Writing Center. Previous leadership positions that Rebecca has held include President of Black Expressions and Vice President of Service of Alpha Phi Omega (APO). Upon graduation, Rebecca will be taking a gap year before applying to PA school. She is excited to celebrate the efforts of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and to highlight the link between community and education.
Special Thanks to our 2023 Sponsors
Diamond Level Sponsors
Douglass Distributing | Grayson County Rotary | Sherman Rotary | Undaunted Creative Agency
Gold & Silver Level Sponsors
City of Sherman
Sherman Chamber of Commerce
Aramark
Austin College
Thank you Chick-Fil-A for hosting a spirit night fundraiser!
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2023 Events
- Rebecca Osei ’23 Speech
- Rev. James Petty Speech
- MLK Day 2023 Community Celebration Program
- MLK Day Celebration 2023 Photos
2022 Events
- Clemon White ’24 Speech
- Dr. Carllos Lassiter Speech
- MLK Day 2022 Community Celebration Program
- MLK Day Celebration 2022 Photos
2021 Events
- Victoria Star Gilbert ’21 Speech
- Terrence Steele Speech
- MLK Day 2021 Community Celebration Program
- MLK Day Celebration 2021 Photos
2020 Events
- Video: Breakfast with Tim Crossley ’20, Herschel Walker
- Video: Texoma-wide Rally with David Reed, Herschel Walker
- MLK Press Release
- Highlight Photos
- KXII News Coverage
2019 Events
- MLK Press Release
- Highlight Photos
- Tre’ Stewart ’15
- Erin Adams ’20
- Reggie Evans ’19
2018 Events
2017 Events
- MLK Press Release
- Highlight Photos
- Student Bios
- Bryce DeVaughn ’18 Speech
- Sierra Salser ’20 Speech
- KTEN News Coverage
- Herald Democrat News Coverage