King Observances

The birthday of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. will be observed Monday. Events to commemorate it will take place throughout the week across Los Angeles County.

TODAY Celebration--A coloring contest, soul food, a gospel choir, a vocal quartet and furniture giveaways will highlight Alameda Thrift’s eighth annual tribute from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Compton Boulevard and Alameda Street, Compton.

Art and Essay Festival--Students in kindergarten through 12th grade will be honored at the Department of Water and Power, 111 N. Hope St., Los Angeles.

SUNDAY Church Concert--The ninth annual event, sponsored by Alpha Kappa Alpha and Delta Sigma Theta sororities and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, will be presented at 4:30 p.m. at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 514 W. Adams Blvd., Los Angeles. Free.

Jazz Greats--A free musical tribute by jazz greats Buddy Collette, Abe Most and Art Davis will begin at 11 a.m. at the First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles, 2936 West 8th St.

Chamber Music--A memorial program will begin at 4 p.m. in the Leo S. Bing Theatre, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. Free.

Author’s Speech--John M. Perkins, author and activist, will be the keynote speaker at a ceremony honoring the life and work of King, “Reflections on the Dream: An Interfaith Celebration,” at 1 p.m. at Occidental College in Eagle Rock.

Human Rights Conference--Eleanor Holmes Norton, the District of Columbia delegate to Congress, will discuss “Human Rights and the Legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” as the keynote speaker at a two-day conference. She will speak at 8 p.m. in Thorne Hall at Occidental College in Eagle Rock.

MONDAY Supervisor to Speak--Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina will speak on “From Dreams to Reality: Undoing Racism” during a ceremony from 9 a.m. to noon in the Pavilion at Santa Monica College, 1900 Pico Blvd. Free.

Interfaith Service--The sixth annual Valleywide Interfaith Service is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Congregation Kol Tikvah, 20400 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills. Catholic Bishop Stephen E. Blaire and the Rev. George Regas, rector of All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena will be among the speakers.

Musical Celebration--The Antelope Valley Mass Chorus will perform from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Palmdale Cultural Center, 704 E. Palmdale Blvd.

Prayer Breakfast and Bazaar--From 9 a.m. to noon at the Bethel AME Church, 7900 S. Western Ave., Los Angeles. Admission is $10.

“The King Dream Now”--A two-hour docudrama on King’s life will be aired at 9 a.m. on KJLH-FM (102.3).

Awareness Day--The San Fernando Valley branch of the NAACP and its Youth Council will celebrate the 16th annual King Awareness Day with essay and art contests from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Boys & Girls Club, 11251 Glenoaks Blvd., Pacoima.

Kingdom Day Parade--The theme of this year’s parade is “The Dream Continues to Live.” It is sponsored by the National Cultural Foundation and will begin at 11 a.m. at Crenshaw and Martin Luther King Jr. boulevards in Los Angeles.

Guest Actor--William Allen Young will be featured at a gala celebration at 1 p.m. at the Lancaster Performing Arts Center, 44933 N. Fern Ave. Tickets are $5.

Speech--The Rev. James Lawson, a minister at Holman United Methodist Church in Los Angeles who worked closely with King, will speak on “Where Do We Go From Here? Chaos or Community?” as part of Caltech’s King Day Observance at 4 p.m. in Beckman Auditorium, Pasadena.