FORT BENNING, Ga., (Jan. 8, 2014) -- Fort Benning will celebrate the life and accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at 11 a.m. Jan. 15 at Derby Auditorium inside McGinnis-Wickam Hall.

The annual observance is sponsored by the Equal Opportunity Office and open to the public. This year's theme is "Remember! Celebrate! Act! A Day On, Not A Day Off!" Sgt. 1st Class Karen Rogers, installation equal opportunity advisor, said she hopes the community will be educated and inspired by King's legacy.

"This is something that we encourage anyone and everyone to attend," she said.

Lt. Col. Dawson Plummer, commander of 1st Battalion, 81st Armored Regiment, will be this year's guest speaker. Plummer is a graduate of Tuskegee University, a historically black college and university in Tuskegee, Ala., where he earned a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering and a commission into the Army as an Armor officer.

Each year, King's birthday is observed on the third Monday of January after President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law in 1983 and it was first observed three years later. It was officially observed in all 50 states for the first time in 2000.

Students from Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School will provide entertainment during the event with a recitation of King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech.

"It impressed me that they have learned the meaning behind the speech," she said. "Being an EO advisor, it's good to see that younger generations have not forgotten his teachings and that everyone should be seen as equal and learn to live together as one."

For more information, individuals should contact their unit equal opportunity adviser or the installation EO Office at 706-545-3196 or 706-545-3197.