TEXARKANA - Local celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will take place online this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Greater Texarkana Branch of the NAACP will broadcast the event through Facebook and YouTube on Monday, Martin Luther King Day, with Dr. Loren Robinson as guest speaker. With the theme "The Fierce Urgency of Now," the celebration will give the community a chance to reflect on MLK's legacy "through music, spoken word, dance, and much more," according to a news release.
"As we celebrate Dr. King, the members encourage everyone to continue to focus on the fact that dreams can become a reality. Pursue your dreams. Get involved. Let your voice be heard. Stay safe/healthy!" the release states.
Robinson is vice president for medical affairs at CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System, responsible for the hospital's quality and safety efforts, as well as physician recruitment.
During the COVID-19 pandemic response, Robinson has served as the physician lead and medical technical specialist for the hospital's incident command structure.
Prior to joining CHRISTUS, she served as deputy secretary for health promotion and disease prevention for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In this role, her focus was preventive health and wellness programs geared toward improving the well-being of all Pennsylvanians.
Robinson received her medical degree from Duke University and completed the internal medicine and pediatrics residency program at the University of North Carolina. As both a practicing internist and pediatrician, she cares for patients of all ages.
Originally from Buffalo, New York, she attended Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, where she graduated summa cum laude with a degree in French. She currently serves on Spelman's Board of Trustees as the college's youngest-ever alumna trustee.
The MLK Celebration is scheduled for 1 p.m. Monday. To view it live, look for the "Greater Texarkana Branch NAACP" page on YouTube or visit the group's page on Facebook.