Photo by Craig Howell Members of the Wayward Saints theatrical troupe, including, from left, Jalen McCrary, Linda Spencer, Bethany Fernbaugh and Pete Fernbaugh, were on hand at Weirton’s Dunbar Recreation Center Monday to present “The Battle for MLK Day,” a radio-show-style production written to showcase the history and challenges in establishing Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Events in both Weirton and Steubenville celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day by reflecting on the life and work of the civil rights icon.

In Weirton, those who came to the Dunbar Recreation Center were able to view a radio-style play, “The Battle For MLK Day.” And in Steubenville, local residents, youth and police officers gathered at the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center for the Reflection on Dr. King Hour, an hour of reflections on King’s life and work.

“The Battle for MLK Day” was performed by members of the Wayward Saints theatrical troupe, showcasing the challenges in the establishment of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday.

“This is our fourth year doing this,” explained Pete Fernbaugh, playwright for the production. “It’s an honor to be part of this.”

The presentation was co-sponsored by the Dunbar Recreation Center and the Ohio Valley Cloak and Dagger Co.

The show, written as a three-act play, starred Jalen McCrary as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and U.S. Rep. John Conyers, who spent years championing the establishment of the day, beginning just days after the civil rights leaders’ assassination in April 1968; Linda Spencer as Coretta Scott King; Rob DeSantis as Sen. Jesse Helms, one of those who stood in the way of the holiday; Robert J. Gaudio as President Ronald Reagan; with Bethany Fernbaugh and Malachi McClendon serving as the storytellers.

It recalled Conyers’ introduction of a resolution on April 9, 1968, and the battles during the following 15 years as various pieces of legislation were introduced in Congress, each failing to receiving the necessary support, as well as the obstacles created by Helms, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and others within the federal government attempting to portray King as un-American, alleging ties to communism, and decrying the potential economic cost of establishing the new holiday as well as the idea of establishing such an observation for a private citizen.

A bill came close to being passed in 1979, with then-President Jimmy Carter pledging support, but fell short by only five needed votes in the House of Representatives. Public support would continue to grow, though, including through the efforts of musician Stevie Wonder, whose 1980 song “Happy Birthday,” served as an ode to King.

An effort was reinvigorated, and a bill was passed by both chambers of Congress, in 1983, later signed by then-President Ronald Reagan, who had, himself, expressed concerns of such a holiday at various times in his political career.

It would take another 17 years before each state in the country would recognize the holiday, with New Hampshire being the final one in 2000.

“This was a history lesson,” noted Earleen Jones, president of the Dunbar Recreation Center, expressing hope that those gathered were able to take something with them from the program.

In Steubenville, following an opening prayer from the Rev. Maurice Lawson of Second Baptist Church, the Rev. Jim Baber, association president and pastor of Calvary Community Missionary Baptist Church, stated the annual reflection hour’s mission: to recall years of civil rights movement progress while stirring motivation for future toils.

“Things have changed now for the better, but we still have miles to go,” Baber said. “That’s why we pause to reflect on Dr. King and what he stood for.”

Steubenville Mayor Jerry Barilla spoke on his hope that prejudice and discrimination might be eliminated, and the nation might secure “liberty and justice for all.” The mayor also proposed that the recreation center’s interior ought to house an MLK mural depicting his words and multiple scenes, and he resolved to investigate funding for the project with Steubenville Parks and Recreation Director Lori Fetherolf.

After a performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” — often referred to as the “Black national anthem” — by Melanye Wares, Baber introduced the Rev. Vaughn Foster, pastor of First United Presbyterian Church of Mingo Junction, also founder and executive director of the nonprofit Relationship Builders Inc.

Foster described King as a “dreamer,” in the aspirational sense. The modern “prophet” was motivated by his Christian faith to serve God and humanity, Foster said, and his dream of sweeping equality was a recurring speech topic — culminating in his famed speech in Washington Aug. 28, 1963.

“(In Washington), what has been said in smaller settings became worldwide,” Foster said. “Although the dream was mentioned in speeches, the dream was something more than just a speech. It was a revelation from God about what America could be and should be.”

Foster told listeners to become familiar with King’s dream and commit to taking up his cause in their own lives, as they’re called, and to encourage others to do likewise.

Concluding the event, Baber said one of his “prayers for 2025” is to see young people remain safe within an American society that’s drastically changed over the years. He told youth in attendance to respect their teachers and superiors and told all attendees: “Don’t fail to dream. … Let us keep reflecting on Dr. King.”

A Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration scheduled Monday at Wheeling’s Laughlin Chapel was canceled due to inclement weather. A walk in Weirton, planned yearly for residents to travel along a portion of Weir Avenue in commemoration of the holiday, also was canceled because of Monday’s cold temperatures.