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NATCHEZ — The fourth annual Unity Day in Natchez is Wednesday and will be celebrated at 5:30 p.m. at Zion Chapel AME Church with a service to which all in the community are invited.

The event precedes Saturday’s Legions Celebration, the highlight of the city’s Juneteenth celebration, which is being sponsored by the city and a number of Natchez and Adams County businesses.

The Unity Day service continues a tradition begun by former Natchez Mayor Darryl Grennell in 2020. 

“From day one, our message has been about one Natchez, everyone in Natchez working together to overcome the divisions of our past. And I continue to admire the vision of Mayor Grennell, my predecessor when he established his during a time of great national challenge in 2020 with the COVID pandemic and the aftermath of George Floyd. We are so glad we can continue this important event and I urge all citizens to come and worship together and embrace each other,” Gibson said.

The Rev. Birdon Mitchell, pastor of Zion Chapel, will deliver the unity message during the service. 

“Prayers, greetings and messages from other churches and places of faith in the community representing a diversity of faith — Protestant and Jewish — will be presented. Tony Fields and I will be providing music,” Gibson said.

Church bells throughout the community are set to ring together at 6 p.m., he said.