- March 6, 2025
Aiden Bond, with Experience Creative Arts Ministry, performs in the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration event at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center on Monday, Jan. 20. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Judge Hubert Grimes speaks during the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration event at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center on Monday, Jan. 20. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Chrissy Williams (third from left) leads the Black National Anthem alongside (left to right) Rev. Gary Pelham, Tina Carlyle, Carolyn Parker and Judge Hubert Grimes during the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration event at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center on Monday, Jan. 20. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Carolyn Parker acts as the master of ceremony during the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration event at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center on Monday, Jan. 20. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Rev. Gary Pelham leads the prayer during the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration event at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center on Monday, Jan. 20. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Aiden Bond reads an excerpt of Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'I Have a Dream' speech during the celebration event at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center on Monday, Jan. 20. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
The Ormond Beach Elementary dance team performs during the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration event at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center on Monday, Jan. 20. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
The Ormond Beach Elementary dance team performs during the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration event at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center on Monday, Jan. 20. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
The Ormond Beach Elementary dance team performs during the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration event at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center on Monday, Jan. 20. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
The Ormond Beach Elementary dance team performs during the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration event at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center on Monday, Jan. 20. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
The Ormond Beach Elementary stomp percussion performs during the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration event at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center on Monday, Jan. 20. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
The Ormond Beach Elementary stomp percussion performs during the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration event at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center on Monday, Jan. 20. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
The Ormond Beach Elementary stomp percussion performs during the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration event at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center on Monday, Jan. 20. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
The Ormond Beach Elementary stomp percussion performs during the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration event at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center on Monday, Jan. 20. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Members of the Omicron Omicron Chapter of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity help serve breakfast during the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration event at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center on Monday, Jan. 20. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Mark Campbell, president of the Omicron Omicron Chapter of Omega Psi Phi, helps serve breakfast during the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration event at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center on Monday, Jan. 20. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Titus Tyson and Mike Cooks, of the Omicron Omicron Chapter of Omega Psi Phi help serve breakfast during the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration event at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center on Monday, Jan. 20. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Avery Randolph, Ormond Beach Police Athletic League athletics specialist, and longtime community advocate Joe Daniels. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Vice Basileus Victor Montgomery and President Mark Campbell, of Omicron Omicron Chapter of Omega Psi Phi. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Kaydence Duhart performs during the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration event at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center on Monday, Jan. 20. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Eulissa Boyd performs a spoke word poem during the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration event at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center on Monday, Jan. 20. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Aiden Bond plays the part of Dr. King as part of a performance by Experience Creative Arts Ministry during the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration event at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center on Monday, Jan. 20. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Experience Creative Arts Ministry performers take part in the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration event at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center on Monday, Jan. 20. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Experience Creative Arts Ministry performers take part in the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration event at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center on Monday, Jan. 20. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
An Experience Creative Arts Ministry performer takes part in the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration event at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center on Monday, Jan. 20. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Ormond Beach City Commissioners Lori Tolland and Travis Sargent present Tina Carlyle with a mayor's proclamation during the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration event at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center on Monday, Jan. 20. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Ormond Beach City Commissioner Lori Tolland, MLK Committee Chair Tina Carlyle and Ormond Beach City Commissioner Travis Sargent. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Ormond Beach Police Athletic Youth Leadership Council members speak during the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration event at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center on Monday, Jan. 20. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Ormond Beach Police Athletic Youth Leadership Council members speak during the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration event at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center on Monday, Jan. 20. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Ormond Beach Police Athletic Youth Leadership Council members speak during the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration event at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center on Monday, Jan. 20. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
MLK Committee Chair Tina Carlyle speaks during the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration event at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center on Monday, Jan. 20. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
MLK Committee Chair Tina Carlyle presents Dalecia Gooding with a Heart of Dedication award in memory of her late husband, Don Gooding. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
MLK Committee Chair Tina Carlyle presents Dalecia Gooding with a Heart of Dedication award in memory of her late husband, Don Gooding. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Dalecia Gooding holds a plaque made in memory of her late husband, Don Gooding. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Ormond Beach residents gathered at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center to share bread and messages of hope.
The city of Ormond Beach and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Committee hosted its annual breakfast celebration commemorating MLK Day on Monday, Jan. 20. This year's event marked the first celebration since 2020 that has featured community performances, replacing the carry-out breakfast format that had been in place during the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing years.
In her opening remarks, MLK Committee Chair Tina Carlyle said she was "elated."
"But I'm even more excited to see the audience and see the people that are here to celebrate the greatest day of the year," Carlyle said.
The event, themed "Lighting the Path of Equality: Together as One," included prayers, the singing of the national Black anthem, a reading of King's "I Have a Dream" speech, spoken word poetry, and performances from the Ormond Beach Elementary dance team and stomp percussion, as well as Experience Creative Arts Ministry.
Attendees received a free hot breakfast, served by members of the Omicron Omicron Chapter of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity.
Carlyle also presented Ormond Beach resident Dalecia Gooding with a Heart of Dedication award, paying tribute to the contributions her late husband, Don Gooding, made to the MLK Committee and the annual breakfast event. Don Gooding died in 2023.
Carlyle said Gooding, who was the event's photographer, was an "amazing piece of our puzzle."
"He was the person that would tell me, every single year for almost 15 years, 'I'm not going to be a part of it,' but he would still do it," Carlyle said.
Tearfully, she handed Dalecia Gooding the award plaque, saying the award celebrated his dedication, compassion and impact.
City Commissioner Lori Tolland presented the MLK Committee with a proclamation at the event. At 10 years old in 1968, Tolland said, she was living a few miles away from Washington D.C., where riots broke out following King's assassination on April 4, 1968.
"I remember the outrage and the pain upon Dr. King's assassination," Tolland said. "The fear of the unknown was scary. I also remember the slow healing and growth and love that Dr. King preached."
She said she was honored to be present as the city gathered to pay tribute to King's legacy.
"Dr. King believed in the power of community," Tolland said. "Of people coming together across lines of race, faith and background to build a world rooted in justice, compassion and love. As we have reflected on his words this morning, let us remember the strength that lies in our shared community."
