It was a "day on"

instead of a "day off" for more than 500 Fayette countians Monday

who participated in the Martin Luther King Jr. birthday celebration at

Starr's Mill High School.

Sponsored by the Fayette County

Branch of the NAACP, Peachtree City and the Fayette County schools, the

second annual observance was a collaborative effort focused around a three-word

theme: "Remember, Celebrate, Act."

The Rev. Edward J. Johnson,

president of the local NAACP, called on those assembled in honor of King

to remember the past, to celebrate life and act to "raise the level

of consciousness," and "get past complacency and move toward

activism."

Terrell Slayton, assistant

secretary of State, spoke with candor, humor and conviction about King,

Georgia's place in the history of the civil rights movement and the recent

election debacle. "Ninety five thousand [voters] went to polls for

president, but it did not count," Slayton said. An investigation

revealed that malfunctioning voting machines caused two out of 100 votes

cast by whites to go uncounted, he said, while 10 out of 100 votes cast

Slayton promised to submit

a "package of bills to this year's General Assembly to bring common

electronic voting equipment into the state."

He urged those in attendance

to ask themselves the rhetorical question, "What am I doing for my

fellow man?"

"Choose community over

chaos," he added. Slayton selected a portion of an editorial written

Christian Leadership Conference, to conclude his words.

"Now we must inspire a

new generation to carry the torch of leadership into the future to build

a nation worthy of our greatest dreams."

"Today in Peachtree City,

you've begun that process," Slayton said. "My heart is warm.

I know we're in good hands with the quality of leadership shown here today.

Make today a day on, not a day off."

Other speakers included Jamila

Rivers, a student at Sandy Creek High School, president of the NAACP Youth

Council and daughter of Carolyn and Nelson Rivers, who referred to King's

role as "drum major" to get involved, and "be up front

wherever you need to be."

Fayette County School Superintendent

Dr. John DeCotis told what Martin Luther King mean to him as an educational

leader. "I learned to live up to the ideals of our nation's creed...

that diversity is our strength... that each one of us is important to

our church, our community and our family... that education is a tool to

a better life."

The two-hour observance was

punctuated with music performed by the Prophetic Voices of Praise from

St. John AME Church in Fairburn. Master of ceremonies was Kellen Winslow,

a member of the NFL Hall of Fame, lawyer and motivational speaker.