Newton County’s 26th annual celebration of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will take place at 3 p.m. Sunday at Newton High School’s Porter Memorial Auditorium.

The prestigious, local I Have a Dream and Trailblazer awards will be given out. The I Have a Dream Award is given to a person who exemplifies the philosophy of Dr. Martin Luther King and was given to local dentist Melvin O. Baker last year.

The Trailblazer Award is given to a Newton County resident who is known for their service to the community and was given to Sheriff Ezell Brown last year.

This year’s keynote speaker will be the Rev. Sharma D. Lewis, the new district superintendent of the Atlanta-Decatur-Oxford District of the United Methodist Church.

"She is a leader with a vision for all people, and she proclaims not what she has read, but what she has lived and breathed concerning all of God’s people," according to the press release.

Lewis has three degrees, including a master’s in biology from the University of West Georgia and a master of divinity in biblical studies from Gammon Seminary at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta. She is the 14th pastor in her family.