Aiken City Councilmember to be keynote speaker for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Celebration

Aiken City Councilmember Lessie Price will be the keynote speaker for the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Celebration presented by Aiken Technical College (Aiken Tech) and the University of South Carolina Aiken (USC Aiken).

The event will be Sunday, January 22, at the USC Aiken Convocation Center, 2049 Champion Way, Graniteville. Doors will open at 2:30 p.m., with the program starting at 3 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

Price became the first female elected at-large to the Aiken City Council in 1987 and has continuously served on the council for 35 years, including two terms as Mayor Pro Tempore.

In addition to her elected position, Price is the Principal Consultant with Amentum Nuclear Energy and Environment. In this role, she works to create strategies to improve economic development, environmental justice, and innovative technology in marginalized and underserved areas.

Throughout her career, she has served on more than 70 boards and has received more than 100 awards for her contributions.

The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Celebration Steering Committee each year selects a quote from Dr. King as its theme. This year's theme is "…the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”

During the event, the committee will recognize a community member and two college students—one from Aiken Tech and one from USC Aiken—who have advocated for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the community or on their respective campuses.

In addition, winners of the committee's annual poster and essay contests for local elementary, middle, and high school students will be recognized. The winning artwork will be displayed at the event.

Attendees are encouraged to arrive early to browse the service fair, held between 2:30 p.m. and the program's start. Representatives from more than 20 area nonprofits will participate in the service fair and be available to share information about their mission, services, and ways people can support and volunteer.