Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Celebrations
Weekend of Regional Events for 2024
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?'”
-MLK Jr.
SANTA BARBARA
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Committe Santa barbara
17th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Weekend
Thursday, Jan. 11; 11AM – 12Noon; 12PM – 2PM Reception
University of California, Santa Barbara, Buchanan Hall lawn
MLK Jr. Eternal Flame program and “Walk With Us”
Reception: Multi-Cultural Center
Friday, Jan. 12; 6PM
B’nai B’rith Service (*Essay/Poetry students reading)
*Trinity Lutheran Church, 909 N. La Cumbre, SB 93110
*Temporary location
Saturday, Jan.13, Day of Service
Choose your Non Profit to do a Day of Service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and
the MLKSB Committee. Post on social media and Hashtag it #MLKSB #dayofservice
Sunday Jan. 14
Worship service choice. View list on website for
church/faith services honoring Dr. King
MLK Jr. Holiday, Mon. Jan. 15
9AM: Morning Program, De La Guerra Plaza,
10AM; Unity March, State St to Arlington Theater
11AM; Arlington Theater Program
- Live music, choirs, Essay and Poetry Awards, Spoken Word and more
1 :30PM Celebration of Life, Sojourner Kincaid Rolle
- First United Methodist Church
305 E. A.napamu St., Santa Barbara, CA 93105
3:30PM Fellowship Hall/Community Gathering in Honor of Sojourner
Info: Isaac Garrett (805) 729-1143 or info@mlksb.org
Gratitude to MLKSB Major Sponsors: James S. Bower Foundation, UCSB: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Multi Cultural Center, Center for Black Studies Research, EOP; Union Bank, First United Methodist Church, Arlington Theater, Anti Defamation League, Healing Justice, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services MLKSB.org
The mission of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Committee of Santa Barbara is to foster positive relationships between the many diverse groups in the Santa Barbara Community and the surrounding areas; to sponsor programs and events which exemplify the teachings of Dr. King; and to observe and celebrate the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday.
VENTURA-OXNARD
January 15th
38th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
2024 Observance and Celebration
8:00 AM “Freedom March”
From: Plaza Park, 5th Street and C Street, Oxnard, CA
To: Oxnard Performing Arts Center (OPAC)
Transportation provided from the Oxnard Performing Arts Center to Plaza Park beginning at 7:30 AM
Cost: Free
9:00 AM Observance Program
“Empowerment Through Education: Paving the Path to Equity and Understanding”
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Irene G. Pinkard, Director of the Pinkard Youth Institute
Location: Oxnard Performing Arts Center (OPAC)
800 Hobson Way, Oxnard, CA 93030
$10 admission includes refreshments and vendor exhibits
Tickets may be purchased from MLK Committee members, at the door, or online.
LOMPOC
Lompoc MLK Jr. Day celebration and march set for Jan. 15 at DeWees Center
In celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the local MLK Celebration Committee is hosting a commemorative event honoring the life and legacy of the civil rights leader on Monday, Jan. 15, at the DeWees Center in Lompoc.
Themed “Voices of Today, Heroes of Yesterday, Dreams of Tomorrow,” the event will begin with a “Peace and Unity in the Community” march at 9:15 a.m. Attendees are invited to meet at the steps of Grace Temple Missionary Baptist Church, 201 S. H Street.
“We plan to march and come together as a community in MLK’s honor,” said Pastor Ron Wiley of Grace Temple Church. “It’s OK to celebrate progress, but also understand that we have not reached the finish line.”
Following the march, at approximately 11 a.m., a celebratory program will take place at the Dick DeWees Center, located at 1120 W. Ocean Ave.
“Our committee’s goal is to share the message of Martin Luther King Jr. now and into the future,” said Wiley. “We come together in hopes that our community can celebrate his impact on the world at our annual event.”
The celebration will feature keynote speakers Keisha Edwards and Benjamin Thomas, and City officials and community groups in attendance will include officials with the City of Lompoc Police Department and YMCA.
Dr. King, in the mid-1950s, led a movement to end racial segregation in the United States. He advocated for nonviolent protest and became the youngest man to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, signed into federal law on Nov. 2, 1983, was first officially observed on the third Monday of January 1986, marking the birthday of Dr. King.
Both events are free and open to the public.
For more information, or to sponsor or donate to the event, contact Pastor Ron Wiley at wileyrt2@cs.com or call 805-698-6010.
SANTA MARIA
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, January 15, 2024, a day of reflection and honor dedicated to volunteerism and community service.
This year marks 56 years since King, the Nobel Peace Prize recipient civil rights activist, was tragically assassinated. It’s a real betrayal to his life and legacy that voting rights is continuing to be an issue that’s under assault.
For many Americans, the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday is a day of public service, a time to volunteer in their communities. It’s also a day when many of us reflect on the legacy of the late civil rights leader.
Many of the senators opposing the voting rights bill have tweeted tributes to King. But as Dr. King’s family said before, it’s not enough to praise their father. They even said, on this holiday, don’t celebrate his birthday unless you’re willing to support what he lived for and what he died for. So those other pieces of what Dr. King stood for is something that we really do need to grapple with.
Here are 6 podcasts to listen to: https://www.npr.org/2023/01/13/1148690803/podcasts-mlk-martin-luther-king-jr-day
The effort to honor King finally succeeded when President Ronald Reagan eventually signed a bill in 1983 that added Martin Luther King Jr. Day to the list of federal holidays, commemorating King’s contribution to the civil rights movement. Still, it wasn’t officially observed until 1986.
In 1994, under then-President Bill Clinton, it became the only federal holiday dedicated to volunteerism, after Congress passed the King Holiday and Service Act. Americans are encouraged to observe the day “with acts of civic work and community service” in honor of King’s legacy.
Let’s not forget that what Dr. King lived and died for is about more than one day of remembrance.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, January 15, 2024, a day of reflection and honor dedicated to volunteerism and community service.
LOS ANGELES
2024 UNCF Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast – Los Angeles
UNCF Los Angeles will be hosting the 38th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Awards Breakfast on Monday, January 15, 2024.
Celebrating the life and legacy of civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., this annual event brings together alumni and friends of our 37 member institutions for a day of inspiration and fellowship – all while raising money to help send more students to and through college.
You don’t want to miss it! Get your tickets today by calling 213.639.3800 or emailing UNCF-LAEvents@uncf.org or Gilmoremarketinggroup@gmail.com
Presented by UNCF Los Angeles.
https://uncf.org/events/2024-uncf-martin-luther-king-jr-breakfast-los-angeles
MLK Volunteer Festival 2024: Take Action to Support Our Beloved Community
At the Coliseum in 1964, Dr. King passionately and persuasively addressed 15,000 Angelenos on the issues of race relations and human dignity.
In 1994, Congress passed the King Holiday and Service Act, which transformed Martin Luther King Jr. Day into a national day dedicated to volunteer service in honor of Dr. King’s legacy.
In 2024, L.A. Works will continue our long tradition of honoring Dr. King’s legacy by organizing the MLK 2024 Volunteer Festival: Take Action to Support our Beloved Community. This event for thousands of volunteers at the Los Angeles Coliseum will feature hands-on activities for participants to address needs within the areas of:
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Homelessness,
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Education Equity,
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Food Insecurity, and
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Economic Opportunity.
Join L.A. Works in honoring Dr. King on his birthday along with thousands of Angelenos at the Coliseum who are taking action to support our Beloved Community!
DOORS OPEN AT NOON
EVENT ENDS AT 4
MLK Day at the Skirball
In celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and in honor of the legacy of Dr. King, the Skirball is opening its doors and offering FREE admission to This Light of Ours: Activist Photographers of the Civil Rights Movement.
Date and Time
Monday, January 15, 12:00–3:00 pm
Last timed-entry at 2:00 pm
Pricing and Details
Walk ups welcome!
- FREE
Advance reservations are now full.
Please note: Noah’s Ark requires timed-entry tickets. Limited time slots may be available at check-in.
Plan Your Visit
- Find out how to get here and where you can park for FREE.
- Learn about our shopping and dining options.
- See what else is going on during the day of your visit.
- Questions? Review our FAQs.
Things To Do This MLK Day Weekend in Los Angeles
From January 12-15 in Los Angeles, you’ll find multiple celebrations in remembrance of Martin Luther King, Jr. (including some of the biggest parades in the country) along with a host of other events featuring live music, poetry and spoken word performances, free fitness classes, art openings, the Asian American Expo at Fairplex, and the SoCal Slack Key Fest in Redondo Beach.
SAN DIEGO
42nd Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade
Sunday, January 14th, 2024
10am – Harbor Dr.Embarcadero
Join us on Harbor Drive for the 42nd Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade. This is one of the largest celebrations of its kind in the United States in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The parade is filled with dazzling floats, phenomenal High School Bands, Drill Teams, Colleges/Universities, Fraternities, Sororities, Churches, Peace and Youth organizations. This year’s parade will feature a MLK 5k Walk/Fun Run and Festival. For more information on the 5K and festival, follow the links below.
This parade is coordinated by the Zeta Sigma Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., the oldest African American fraternity in America, founded in 1906 and the San Diego Alpha Foundation. The seven men who founded this organization at Cornell University in Ithaca New York recognized the need for a strong bond of Brotherhood among African descendants in this country. Dr. King was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha.
Come and join your community and help continue the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This event supports scholarship opportunities for the youth of San Diego.
Interested in participating, volunteering, or sponsorship opportunities? Email Brian Samuels at SDMLKparade@sandiegoalphas.com.
THE DREAM: A FORGOTTEN CALL TO ACTION?
An Essay by Marvin Richards
“In his 1967 address to APA, Dr. King warned, ‘We must never adjust ourselves to racial discrimination and racial segregation. We must never adjust ourselves to religious bigotry.
https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2022/01/statement-king-day#:..
King details the principles of nonviolent direct action, exposes readers to the conditions endured by Black Americans, and defends his belief in the supremacy of moral law over an unjust legal code.
Read full letter here: https://www.csuchico.edu/…/susi-letter-from-birmingham…
