Martin Luther King Jr. Day events in Southern California

We’re on the brink of a long weekend, but let’s not forget to give a big nod to the one who got us here — to somebody who devoted his life’s work to selfless service, who made unprecedented strides in the quest for equality, who inspired countless to be better citizens in his lifetime and since.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a time to remember the truly admirable accomplishments of someone who had a dream and worked tirelessly toward it. Following are various events in Southern California to celebrate MLK Jr. and his birthday:

Los Angeles

Other than the Kingdom Day Parade and Hammer Museum event, both mentioned in this morning’s roundup post, the following events are planned in L.A.:

Sunday, Jan. 18, 10 a.m.
“Spirit of the Dream“: a musical tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Where: House of Blues, West Hollywood
Contact: House of Blues, (323) 848.5100

Sunday, Jan. 18, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration! A Dream Realized
Where: California African American Museum, Los Angeles
Contact: CAAM, (213) 744-2132

Long Beach

Saturday, Jan. 17, 10:30 a.m.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Peace and Unity Parade Celebration (part of Long Beach’s “Peace Week,” which you can find out more about in this Press-Telegram article)
Where: Begins on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue at Anaheim Street
Contact: Long Beach City Council, (562) 570-6816

Ojai

Monday, Jan. 19, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Ojai Martin Luther King Jr. Day (see the Ojai Post for more details)
Libbey Park, Ojai
Contact: Ojai Valley Youth Foundation, (805) 640-9555

San Diego

Saturday, Jan. 17, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
San Diego Multicultural Festival
Where: Martin Luther King Jr. Promenade, downtown San Diego
Contact: Centre City Development Corp., (619) 235-2200

Monday, Jan. 19, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Martin Luther King Jr. Family Day
Where: San Diego Museum of Man, Balboa Park, San Diego
Contact: San Diego Museum of Man, (619) 239-2001

Santa Barbara

Monday, Jan. 19, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Rally, March, Ceremony & more
Where: De La Guerra Plaza and various locations, Santa Barbara
Contact: Fund for Santa Barbara, (805) 962-9164

How will you be celebrating MLK Jr. Day? Let us know in the Comments below.

– Susan Derby

Photo: The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in Montgomery, Ala. Credit: Associated Press

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This entry was posted on Friday, January 16, 2009 at 11:00 am by Susan Derby and is filed under California, Family & Kids, Festival, Los Angeles, Ojai, San Diego, Santa Barbara. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.