Government shutdown won’t stop MLK holiday week observances

ATLANTA – The government shutdown has shuttered popular Atlanta tourist attractions tied to the life of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. but won’t derail 10 days of events leading up to Jan. 21 — the federal holiday honouring the late civil rights leader.

WSB-TV reports the King Center announced a packed calendar of events Thursday for King holiday observance week, which opens Friday.

Park rangers, normally present for the event, were not on hand because of the federal shutdown. Despite the shutdown, which has closed the King birth home as well as historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, King Center CEO Bernice King says she believes there’s still plenty going on to engage people seeking to commemorate her father’s 90th birthday.

Events start Friday with a two-day immersion course in non-violence training.

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Information from: WSB-TV, http://www.wsbtv.com/index.html