San Diegans Honor Dr. King’s Birthday at a Variety of Events

While federal, state, city and county offices, as well as many banks, were closed Monday for the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, a number of organizations around San Diego celebrated the birthday of the civil rights martyr and Nobel Peace Prize recipient.

The day’s events began with “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.-All People’s Breakfast,” an annual meeting sponsored by the National Conference of Christians and Jews to commemorate King’s birthday, according to Ibrahim Naeem, president and chief executive officer of the Urban League of San Diego. The breakfast was held at the San Diego Hilton Beach and Tennis Resort in Mission Bay.

Next came the 11:30 a.m., “Martin Luther King Drum Major Award Luncheon,”--named after one of King’s most noted speeches. Sponsored by Anheuser-Busch and the Neighborhood House Head Start of San Diego County, the program included awards given to outstanding youth and adults at a luncheon at the Educational Cultural Complex in Southeast San Diego.

At the University of San Diego Law School, Monday was the culmination of a weeklong celebration called, “A Festival of American Civil Rights: Celebrate the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King.”

A commemorative program featuring speakers intended to “represent the diversity of the San Diego community” began at noon. Guests, including U.S. District Judge Earl B. Gilliam, discussed their recollection and views of King, a school spokeswoman said. A reception followed the event.

A town hall discussion on “Civil Rights in the 1990s” took place at 3 p.m., followed by a 5 p.m. candlelight vigil in King’s memory in the University Center courtyard. At 6, portions of King’s speeches were re-created as part of a program entitled, “Remembrance of Martin Luther King.” A reception sponsored by law school alumni followed at 6:30.

The weeklong tribute was sponsored by the law school in conjunction with the Student Bar Assn., the Asian-Pacific American Law Students Assn., the Black Law Students Assn., La Raza, Students for Social Progress, and the Womens Law Caucus.

A second candlelight vigil in King’s memory was held in front of City Hall at 5:30 p.m. The vigil was “in memory of Dr. King and also to call upon the city of San Dego to fulfill its commitment to designate a substantive citywide tribute to Dr. King to replace the loss of Martin Luther King Way,” said Barbara Gartner, coordinator for the Martin Luther King Tribute Coalition, which sponsored the vigil.

About 100 people carrying candles and flashlights stood outside City Hall in the early evening carrying signs and singing peace songs, said the Rev. George Stevens of the coalition. But it was the many children in attendance that impressed him, Stevens said. “The real change takes place when young people put (King’s) words into action,” he said.

“We thought it would be good, symbolically, to have a peace event on his birthday,” said Jill Thurlow, one of the organizers of the Benefit Peace Concert held Monday evening at the La Paloma Theater in Encinitas.

The concert, sponsored by the North County chapter of the Coalition for Peace in the Middle East, featured Peter Sprague and Bordertown. An information table was set up to help organize local peace activities in the county, Thurlow said.

In Solana Beach, the Belly Up Tavern canceled its afternoon events in preparation for a tribute concert for King featuring Five Blind Boys of Alabama and Rejoice, two gospel groups.

Other events are scheduled later in the week. The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Concert featuring the 200-voice Southeast San Diego Community Choirs will be held at the Copley Symphony Hall Sat., Jan. 26, at 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased from the Copley Symphony Hall ticket office and the San Diego National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People. The concert, sponsored by San Diego Gas & Electric, will benefit a youth scholarship program.