Jesse Jackson coming to Danville Thursday

The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr. will be in Danville Thursday for a ceremony honoring completion of the city’s multi-million dollar King Memorial Bridge.

The bridge—which includes the renovated former Main Street Bridge and a newer, two-lane southbound section—was renamed by the city of Danville in memory of slain civil rights leader the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The King Memorial Bridge is the main river crossing into downtown Danville. Thursday’s ceremony will include the addition of a historical marker and tourist walkway. The celebration honors the life of Dr. King in the 40th year after his assassination.

King ranked Danville in the middle, between Birmingham and Montgomery, Alabama, in terms of brutality during the civil rights movement, according to new documents from the Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Educational Institute at Stanford University. Jackson was also in Danville during the civil rights movement.