This year’s Martin Luther King Day observance in DeRidder will bring residents the rare opportunity to view historic artifacts from the civil rights movement.

Beginning at 12:30 p.m. Monday, residents will gather at City Hall to hear from guest speakers Staphanne Spikes and DeRidder community services director Misty Clanton before setting out on an annual march to the Beauregard Parish fairgrounds. 

At 2 p.m. at the fairgrounds, the C&B Organization will open the exhibit to the public.

It will showcase numerous civil rights movement artifacts — including the hearse that carried the coffin of Martin Luther King Jr. and the handcuffs placed on Rosa Parks as she was taken from the bus to jail. 

According to C&B founder Billy Spikes, the artifacts will be in DeRidder courtesy of the Alexandria businessman who owns them.

“I had learned a couple of years ago about this gentlemen and these civil rights movement items that he had acquired, so I approached him last year about bringing them to DeRidder and now I am really pleased that we have been able to make it happen,” Spikes said.

Spikes said the owner of the artifacts may soon donate them to a museum, so this could be the last opportunity for residents to get such a personal view of them.

“We really hope that the community joins us on this day to take advantage of this opportunity to see these items and remember that important time in history,” he said.

In addition to Monday’s observance, a special weekend celebration for area youths will be held at the Beauregard Police Jury’s activities building noon-3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 14.

The event will offer games, as well as free food and drinks.