Rocky Mount, N.C.—Two Elm City residents who were personal friends of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his family will be recognized for their contributions to the American Civil Rights Movement during observances of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day at North Carolina Wesleyan College.

The Reverend Dr. Standley Moore and his wife, Evelyn Moore, will be honored Jan. 18 at 7:15 p.m. in Wesleyan’s Everett Gymnasium. The ceremony will take place before a crowd of students and visitors attending Wesleyan’s women’s and men’s basketball games with Methodist University. The women’s game will begin at 5:30, the men’s at 7:30, following the recognition program. Free game tickets will be available to all who join in the MLK celebration, and the college encourages the public to attend.

Immediately after the men’s game, a candlelight procession will parade from Everett Gymnasium to Wesleyan’s Dunn Center, where the college’s Gospel Choir will perform.

The Moores, who are natives of Jamaica, came to the United States in 1959 to attend Carver Bible College in Atlanta. They also attended American Baptist Theological Seminary, where both received bachelor’s degrees in Christian education. Dr. Moore earned his doctorate in divinity from the International Baptist Institute. He is now retired from a career in social work in Kansas City and remains active as pastor at the Church of God in Elm City. His wife is retired from her career as a teacher in Kansas City schools.

The Moores first met the King family in Atlanta, where Mrs. Moore was a close friend of Dr. King’s parents. The Moores developed a close friendship with the King family and worked with many well-known civil rights leaders in the 1960s, including Medgar Evers and Ralph Abernathy.

Other Wesleyan activities in observance of MLK Day will focus on community service opportunities for students to assist Habitat for Humanity, the Red Cross, Down East Partnership for Children, and Sterling House.