Barry Scott is an authority on a man who "changed the world" by leading a group of Americans through one of this country's "most violent and inspiring times."
Dustin Lee was born years after this leader died -- yet the young Lancaster man is able to seek opportunities because of that late leader's work.
And a group of volunteers known as "blanketeers" are honoring this same leader's vision by providing love and "a sense of warmth and comfort to children."
All these individuals are among those playing a part here in honoring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy on Monday's holiday created in King's honor.
The holiday will feature the 22nd annual Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast from 7 to 9 a.m. at a new location, the Lancaster County Convention Center in downtown's Penn Square.
Keynote speaker will be William Strickland Jr., an author and business leader in the job-training field.
Individual tickets for the breakfast are $60. For more information, call the Attucks center at 394-6604, ext. 120.
Lee, a McCaskey High School graduate who is now in Temple University's pre-med program, is to receive the Essence of Humanity Award.
The award recognizes individuals who "demonstrate remarkable human qualities, including courage, love, strength, determination and persistence when dealing with adversity."
Monday morning's King Day breakfast is a communitywide observance to honor the late civil-rights leader.
This year's theme is "No Step Too Small -- Dream the Impossible."
The breakfast is sponsored by Lancaster's Crispus Attucks Community Center. More than 600 residents and community leaders are expected to attend.
Strickland runs three job-training centers in the U.S. and brings "a story of overcoming obstacles to empower others," said the Attucks center's executive director, Cheryl Holland-Jones.
Following the King Day breakfast, the annual "Living the Dream Day," featuring volunteers helping with a range of betterment projects across the county, will be held.
The projects will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., with a thank-you luncheon for the volunteers at 1 p.m. at Bright Side Opportunities Center on Hershey Avenue.
The United Way of Lancaster County's volunteer center (394-0731) is coordinating volunteers for "Living the Dream Day."
As America stops to honor King Monday, here are other Lancaster-area events being planned:
• Today at 4 p.m., a "re-flame" ceremony is planned at Martin Luther King Plaza in the 400 block of South Duke Street.
It will include participants reading from some of King's speeches and is sponsored by the Lancaster Weed & Seed program.
• On Sunday, Lancaster's Holy Trinity Lutheran Church will host the newly elected mayor of York, C. Kim Bracey, in a 7 p.m. talk.
Bracey was elected the first African-American mayor of York in November and was sworn in earlier this month. Her talk, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by the Lancaster NAACP.
Holy Trinity Lutheran is at 31 S. Duke St. Call the church at 397-2734 for details.
• Scott, who created "A Tribute to Martin Luther King Jr." to teach college students about the late American leader, will appear Wednesday at Elizabethtown College.
His 11 a.m. presentation at the college's Leffler Chapel & Performance Center is part of a special three-day (Jan. 19-21) "Celebrate the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King" effort at the college.
Scott, an actor, writer and motivational speaker, will discuss King and the civil-rights movement and will "become" King as he re-creates some of the civil-rights leader's most inspiring speeches.
Other events at the Elizabethtown campus include a candlelight re-enactment march at 6:30 p.m. Monday, and the annual "Gospel Extravaganza" at 7 p.m. Monday.
On Thursday, Elizabethtown professor Michael Long will speak at noon in the Hoover Building, Room 110, on "What would Martin Luther King Say about Gay Rights?"
• In Lancaster on Monday, Americorps VISTA members at Lancaster's Tabor Community Services are sponsoring "Martin Luther King Blanket Day."
They will be hosting volunteers from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the county convention center to sew blankets for children who are seriously ill or in need.
They are partnering with the local chapter of "Project Linus," a national organization whose mission is to provide warmth and comfort to ill or needy children through new handmade blankets and afghans.
Since the Lititz/Lancaster chapter of Project Linus began more than 10 years ago, more than 22,000 blankets have found their way into children's hands in the county.
Blanketeers are needed, as are supplies such as quilting fabric, batting, fleece, wide satin ribbon, thread and other items.
For more information, or to be a blanketeer, contact Sherry El Garhy at (271) 358-9720 or selgarhytabornet.org.
• The Lancaster YWCA's child-care and youth department will hold its fifth annual King Day celebration on Monday.
The YWCA, 110 N. Lime St., will again invite youngsters from neighborhood day-care centers and other school-age programs.
They will then take part in activities including making birthday cards to send to the King Center in Atlanta and performing multicultural music.
The YWCA's racial justice and advocacy trainer, Conrad Moore, will speak to children about what King stood for.
Call the YWCA at 393-1735 for further information.
• And in late January, Millersville University will host best-selling author Cornel West as part of King Day events on campus.
West, author of the best-seller "Race Matters," will speak at 7 p.m. Jan. 28 in Pucillo Gymnasium.
West, called a "champion for racial justice since childhood," is a professor at Princeton University.
No tickets are required for his talk. For information, contact Rita Smith Wade-El at 872-3090.