The first African-American woman to receive a law degree from the University of Mississippi Law School will be the keynote speaker at today’s 11th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade and Celebration.

Attorney Constance Iona Slaughter-Harvey, who, for the past 35 years, has served as adjunct professor at Tougaloo College, will expound on this year’s theme: “King’s Legacy Lights Our Path to Justice.”

While attending Tougaloo, Slaughter-Harvey was elected president of the Student Government Association, becoming the first female to serve in that capacity. On Jan. 27, 1970, she became the first African-American female to receive a law degree from Ole Miss.

After graduation, Slaughter-Harvey joined the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law as a staff attorney and worked there until 1972, when she returned to her hometown of Forest and established her private law practice. She served as executive director of Southern Legal Rights and later became director of East Mississippi Legal Services.

In 1980, Slaughter-Harvey joined the staff of Governor William Winter as director of human development. In 1984, she became assistant secretary of state for elections and public lands with Secretary of State Dick Molpus. Together, she and Molpus reformed Sixteenth Section School and Public Trust Lands, and lobbied for mail-in voter registration (signed into law on April 1, 1991). Slaughter-Harvey led the fight for motor voter registration and became a member of the National Motor Voter Advisory Board. In 1991, she was promoted to general counsel and continued to serve as assistant secretary of elections.

In 1995, Slaughter-Harvey became coordinator of the Mississippi State Democratic Party and was responsible for the campaigns of all Democratic candidates in the state. In 1996, she returned to her law practice and became President of Elections, Inc., a position she currently holds. She is also president of the Slaughter Memorial Foundation. In this capacity, Slaughter-Harvey supervises programs in after-school tutorial and enhancement, abstinence and several other youth initiatives.

From 2004 to 2007, Slaughter-Harvey was involved in nursing home trial litigation across the state. She currently serves, in a part-time capacity, as Scott County Youth Court prosecutor.

In 1998, the University of Mississippi’s Black Law Student Association was named in Slaughter-Harvey’s honor. She is past president of the Magnolia Bar Association and recipient of the prestigious R. Jesse Brown Award. Slaughter-Harvey has extensive achievements, awards and honors to her credit.

Today’s local celebration will kick off with a parade, beginning at noon in downtown Meridian.

The lineup for the parade is at 11 a.m. on 23rd Avenue and, according to Greg Lane, chairman of the Dr. MLK Jr. Celebration Committee, the entry fee of $35 will be accepted up to the day of the event. Churches, organizations and businesses are asked to donate $100 to assist in the parade and celebration cost; the donation includes the parade entry fee.

The parade will culminate at Dumont Plaza for the celebration program.