NATCHEZ — On Monday, Natchez will join the nation in celebrating the legacy and birthday of civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr.

The Natchez chapter of the NAACP is sponsoring a parade set for 3 p.m. Monday.

The parade will feature floats, dance teams, marching bands and other organizations including Grieving Mothers, It Takes A Village and Eastern Star, parade organizer Jacqueline Marsaw said.

The parade will also incorporate a “Stop the Violence” march, Marsaw said.

“The parade is a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy,” she said. “And because of things that are happening now, we need peace and people to stop all of this violence. It’s not the answer, and it’s not the way (King) would have handled it.”

Anyone wishing to participate in the parade can contact Marsaw at 601-443-3630.

Prizes for floats will be awarded for first through fifth places.

The Natchez Association for the Preservation of Afro-American Culture is hosting its annual “I Have a Dream” youth luncheon in honor of King on Monday.

The luncheon’s theme this year is “Dream with a Vision, Live with a Purpose.”

The youth speaker for the luncheon is Destiny Addae, an 11-year-old, sixth-grade student at Trinity Episcopal Day School.

The luncheon is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. at the Natchez Convention Center.

Tickets are $11 per person.

To reserve a seat, call Mary White at 601-446-5601, Flora Terrell at 601-446-5218 or Juanita Jones at 601-446-5752.