Martin Luther King Jr. Day will be observed Monday with numerous events planned throughout Los Angeles honoring Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy of connection and understanding, including these celebrations in Santa Monica and the Westside.
Santa Monica: Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Featuring Amanda Gorman, U.S. Nat’l Youth Poet Laureate
Santa Monica College (SMC) and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Westside Coalition has announced that Amanda Gorman—named the first-ever United States National Youth Poet Laureate in 2017—will be the keynote speaker at the birthday celebration for Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The celebration will be held on Monday, January 20, at the SGI-USA World Peace Ikeda Auditorium, 525 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica.
The free event – one of the largest and most diverse celebrations of its kind in Southern California – is scheduled for 9 a.m. The event is presented by The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Westside Coalition, a nonprofit coalition whose mission is consistent with King’s legacy. Event sponsors include the City of Santa Monica, SGI-USA, Santa Monica College Associates, Santa Monica College, RAND Corporation, Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows, Santa Monica Bay Area Human Relations Council, CityTV-Santa Monica, and a variety of other organizations, individuals, and corporate contributors.
Immediately following the program, a Community Involvement Fair offering refreshments and informational displays by a variety of community organizations will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon at the nearby Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows, 101 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica.
Details about the birthday celebration and other related special events are available at The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Westside Coalition website mlkjrwestside.org. You can also find more on Facebook at mlkwestside.org; Instagram @MLKWestside; and on Twitter: @Westsidemlk
Culver City
Monday, January 20, 2020 at 4 PM – City Hall – 9770 Culver Boulevard, Culver City
“Remembering King” will be a tribute to King in the form of a live performance of a Dr. King Speech at the entrance to City Hall by Actor Gerald C. Rivers. His extraordinary voice will be heard throughout City Hall and will radiate to the streets of Culver City. Immediately following will be a candlelight ceremony at dusk with the wonderful members of the Culver City Interfaith Alliance.
Saturday, January 25, 2020 at 1 PM – Culver City Senior Center – 4095 Overland Avenue, Culver City
“Women of the Movement” features theatrical performance by artists Patti Henley and Brenda Lee Eager. These women have not only had amazing musical careers but also did important work in the Civil Rights Movement. Their journey together began at Operation Breadbasket in the 1960s and continues today in classrooms and concert stages around the world. They will share their stories and their voices with the audience at this event.
West Los Angeles: Soliday Panel and Screening of “Power to Heal: Medicare and the Civil Rights Revolution”
7:30 PM – Laemmle Royal
11523 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, California 90025
Join a Solidarity Panel discussion about Medicare for All on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. This diverse panel will be discussing the fight for Medicare for All, challenging the narratives against it, and providing counter-narratives and calls to action to make Medicare for All a reality. After the panel there will be a screening of the film “Power to Heal: Medicare and the Civil Rights Movement”
Panelists include Akili – Fannie Lou of the Hamer Institute and Black Lives Matter Los Angeles and Mari Lopez, Union Organizer National Nurses United/California Nurses Association
More info: CLICK HERE
