Riots a Grim Backdrop to King Holiday Message

Nine months after the Los Angeles riots, local black leaders said this year’s celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday is especially important for highlighting King’s hopes of peace and racial harmony.

“In our suburban environment we have the tendency to be so suburbanized . . . that we isolate ourselves from urban difficulties when all of us are part of the same thing,” said the Rev. John McReynolds of the Second Baptist Church in Santa Ana. “We separate ourselves from urban difficulties, from the answers, when we really are one community.” He said people should not forget the period of history in which King lived because “hate and racism is always rearing its head in its ugly forms.” McReynolds cited the teen-ager recently charged with attempted murder and assault for allegedly beating a Costa Mesa man in a section of Laguna Beach known for its large gay population.

“Hate will only produce more and more isolationism in our communities,” he said.

McReynolds said it was important to keep working to implement King’s ideals into everday life so that the racial harmony King wanted to achieve does not remain a dream.

“Our failure to operationalize the context of the dream will forever have us chasing after the proverbial carrot, walking like the horse after the carrot he never gets,” he said.

In a county with a small and dispersed black population, Monday’s holiday honoring the slain Nobel Peace Prize winner presents one of the few opportunities for Orange County’s African-American residents to celebrate black culture.

“I think it’s important to get together, to celebrate culture,” said Thomas Parham, a psychologist and director of UC Irvine’s Counseling Center. “But one of the things about living in Orange County is that for African-Americans it represents such a void in terms of cultural richness. We have to struggle much harder to create what I call a ‘cultural comfort zone.’ ”

Parham organized UCI’s three-day tribute to King, which started Wednesday, but said the program is not as optimistic as it could be because of the rioting last spring.

“One of the interesting things that happens when we have racial tensions is that the analysis is always directed at those who are oppressed, rather than the oppressors,” he said. “It’s not directed at the forces that created the kind of climate that led to a riot in the first place. The oppression never changes because we never focus any light on that.”

Events at UCI organized by Parham include a student forum on racial tension at the university and a talk tonight by Orange County attorney Milton C. Grimes. Grimes represents Rodney G. King, the black motorist beaten in 1991 by four white Los Angeles police officers. The officers’ acquittal by a Ventura County jury sparked the widespread rioting in Los Angeles in April. Grimes has entitled his talk “From Birmingham to Simi Valley: Still Waiting on Justice.”

Another event focusing on how much work still needs to be done to realize King’s vision of better race relations is activist Prexy Nesbitt’s talk, “Martin, Malcolm, and Their Unfinished Agenda,” at Chapman University’s Waltmar Theatre on Friday.

“This is an American holiday,” said McReynolds. “He (King) was African-American, yes, but he was an American who fought for the ideals presented in the constitution for all Americans.”

Martin Luther King Jr. Celebrations Here are some of the public events commemorating Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. The slain civil rights leader’s birthday is Jan. 15; the holiday is observed Monday, Jan. 18. Thursday: Continuation of “Why We Can’t Wait,” a three-day tribute to King at UC Irvine: Noon: Student forum on racism, “A Dialogue Between the Races: An Analysis of Racial Tension at UCI.” A moderator will take questions from the audience. The forum will be in the Monarch Bay Room. 3 p.m.: Robert Williams of Washington University in St. Louis, and Kofi Natambu, a lecturer in African-American studies, will speak on “The Struggle for Freedom: Afri-centric Nationalism or American Integration.” Monarch Bay Room. 7:30 p.m.: Milton C. Grimes, attorney for Rodney King, will give a speech, “From Birmingham to Simi Valley: Still Waiting on Justice.” Crystal Cove auditorium. Friday Continuation of UCI tribute: 10:45 a.m.: Marchers will walk from William R. Mason Regional Park in Irvine to the campus, where a rally will be held at noon at Gateway Commons. Ensemble Theatre in Orange:

8 p.m.: “The Meeting,” a play by Jeff Stetson about a fictional meeting between King and Malcolm X. Shows run Thursday through Saturday until Feb. 6. Tickets are $15, or $7 if bought seven days in advance. Discount for students and senior citizens. Tickets available by calling 1 (800) 457-2794 or at the box office, 844 E. Lincoln Ave., Suite E, Orange. Box office hours are 2 to 4 p.m. Fridays, 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays. Sunday Second Baptist Church, 1915 W. McFadden Ave., Santa Ana 11 a.m.: Commemorative service, with a program to honor three Orange County students for their academic accomplishments. The church will also give lifetime achievement awards to 17 citizens who have been instrumental in improving life for African-Americans in the county. Monday Valley High School, 1801 S. Greenville St., Santa Ana 11 a.m.: A community tribute sponsored jointly by the Second Baptist Church, the Orange County chapter of the NAACP and the school’s Black Heritage Club. The program will feature a combined choir from several churches, plus speeches by Second Baptist Church pastor John McReynolds, Orange County NAACP president James Colquitt, and Baptist Ministers Conference president Van Roberson. Chapman University, 333 N. Glassell St., Orange 3 p.m.: Activist Prexy Nesbitt will discuss “Martin, Malcolm and Their Unfinished Agenda,” at the school’s Waltmar Theatre. Free.