By Mark Woolsey

A chilly day didn’t keep hundreds of people away from Monday’s Cobb NAACP commemoration of the life and works of  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The two-hour event at the Jennie Anderson Theater at the Cobb Civic Center complex featured music, dance and youth performances in memory of  the civil rights leader, shot to death in Memphis in 1968.

A overarching theme of the event was service.

One speaker quoted one of Dr.  King’s better-known sayings:”Life’s most persistent and urgent  question is; ‘What are you doing for others?’”

“Today is about doing more. Today is about service,” echoed WSB-TV anchor Fred Blankenship, the emcee for the event.

In line with that notion, the NAACP Cobb’s 2026 “Living The Dream” Award was presented to former Governor Roy Barnes.

A surprised Barnes recounted the changes he has seen as an a 78-year-old lifelong Cobb County resident.

Amng the  hallmarks of his childhood, said Barnes, were segregated schools and a lack of African-Americans in positions of power and influence.

He called the changes achieved since then “A testament to those who had courage.”

He then turned his remarks to the current political situation, charging that the Supreme Court doesn’t support the rights of individuals and civil rights and seeks to turn the clock back.

“There are dark days now and  I’m afraid to tell you there are dark days ahead. But I’m also here to tell you that those that rise up in the ilk of Martin Luther King will bring light to us all,” said Barnes.

The award is presented annually to those thought to best embody King’s record of service and ideals.