Remembering the Dream

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

--Martin Luther King Jr.

Aug. 28, 1963

“He’s one of the reasons I am who I am today,” says actress-activist Donzaleigh Abernathy, the keynote speaker at the Westside Coalition Celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday. “I never knew anything but love from him. Every time I get an opportunity to tell somebody about him, it touches my heart. I didn’t know him as Martin Luther King; I knew him as Uncle Martin.”

Abernathy is the daughter of King’s right-hand man, Ralph Abernathy. She and her three siblings grew up alongside the four King children, sharing classrooms, family vacations and Sunday dinners, while their fathers shared hotel rooms and jail cells, and marched across the country in the name of freedom for all U.S. citizens.

“I love having the great opportunity to remember,” says Abernathy. “When you are children, you take things for granted and you don’t pay attention; then all of a sudden, it’s gone and you can’t go back. All you can do is remember, so I want to remember and reflect and share those wonderful memories.”

Along with Abernathy’s remembrances, the Westside Coalition program, themed “Hate Against Hate Has Not Worked: Give a Hug, Give Love,” will feature readings and entertainment, including Brazilian performers and a gospel choir. A community involvement fair will follow the program, which begins at 9 a.m. at Santa Monica College Pavilion, 1900 Pico Blvd. Admission is free. Information: (310) 264-1717.

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Several other events marking the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday are planned around the Southland. Many of the participants weren’t even born when the civil rights leader was slain in 1968.

“Young people are picking it up and living the principles,” says the Rev. Carol Traylor, chair of the Martin Luther King Jr. Westside Coalition festivities. “Even though they were not witnesses to the civil rights movement, they see the importance. We’re seeing a shift now, almost as though the torch has been passed.”

In Long Beach, the 12th annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration begins with a parade at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, followed by festivities at King Park, 1950 Lemon Ave. Leon Hughes and the Coasters will headline the afternoon of entertainment in the park. Closing remarks are scheduled for 5 p.m.

On Sunday, the I Have a Dream Foundation is sponsoring a gospel brunch at the Park Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles (607 S. Park View St.), featuring music and food, at 11:30 a.m. Admission is $50 for adults, $20 for children. (213) 387-1444.

On Monday, the Los Angeles Kingdom Day Parade will roll down Crenshaw and Martin Luther King Jr. boulevards beginning at 11 a.m. Area high school marching bands, dance troupes, drum majors, floats, equestrians and color guards will participate.

Ray Parker Jr. will emcee the San Fernando Valley Interfaith Council’s 12th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, beginning at 7 p.m. Monday at the Cal State Northridge student union. Performers include the Interfaith Choir, the San Fernando Garden Project Drill Team of Pacoima and the Saraswati Vandan Sri Sakti Sarade Kalaniketan dance troupe. 7 to 9 p.m. Free. (818) 718-6460, Ext. 3002.

In Oxnard, a Freedom March and family program begin at 8 a.m. Monday, with the march from Plaza Park, at 5th and C streets, to the Oxnard Performing Arts Center, 800 Hobson Way. At 9 a.m., speakers, gospel singers and others will join the program. 8 a.m. to noon. Admission, $4. (805) 486-2424.