Martin Luther King Day Events
* Martin Luther King Jr., born 69 years ago today, is honored with a national holiday on Monday, and Southern California is playing its part all weekend with parades, concerts, museum events and more. Here’s a sampling:
The slain civil rights leader will be remembered on Friday at a free luncheon for seniors at Santa Ana’s Southwest Senior Center. The event also will feature a reading of Maya Angelou’s poetry by Los Angeles poet Annie Smith and the screening of a film documentary showing King delivering his “I Have a Dream” speech, which he gave at the Lincoln Memorial in 1963. Advance registration is requested. (714) 647-5306.
Long Beach will hold its 10th annual Birthday Unity Parade and Celebration on Saturday, starting with a parade at 10:30 a.m. that begins at Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and 10th Street. Free. (562) 570-6816.
Rosa Parks, who made history 43 years ago when she refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger in Montgomery, Ala., will be honored today at USC. The university’s 17th annual celebration of Martin Luther King Day, which carries the theme “One Person Can Make a Change,” begins at noon. Parks will be present to receive a commemorative plaque at the ceremony. Free. (213) 740-3636.
Kids can learn about King’s message at the Los Angeles Children’s Museum, where storyteller Marilyn McConnie presents “From Darkness to Light: Stories About Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” Noon and 2 p.m. Saturday-Monday. 310 N. Main St., L.A. (213) 687-8800.
Santa Monica College’s Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, one of the largest in Southern California, is scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday. Sponsored by the Martin Luther King Jr. Westside Coalition, a nonprofit coalition of more than 40 community organizations, this multiethnic interfaith program will include inspirational readings, music, presentation of scholarships and recognition of community leaders. Santa Monica College Pavilion, 1900 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica. (310) 314-2188.
Or catch the King specials on TV. A&E; premieres “Martin Luther King Jr.: The Man and the Dream” at 5 and 9 p.m., while the History Channel offers “Who Killed Martin Luther King?” at 6 and 10 p.m.
