The legacy and dream of Martin Luther King Jr. is celebrated in Atlanta, the birthplace of the famous civil rights leader, with family-friendly events and many chances to give back to our community. The commemoration began today with a book signing by Bernice King and other family members at the King Auditorium. Festivities in Atlanta continue on Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a service at Ebenezer Baptist Church, a sit-down dinner at Turner Field for 20,000 of Atlanta’s homeless and two family-friendly parades.
Here’s the rundown of tomorrow’s Martin Luther King. Jr. events in Atlanta:
- Martin Luther King Jr. Annual Commemorative Service at Ebenezer Baptist Church at 10:00 a.m. Event includes tributes to the life and legacy of King from national and international leaders. A 12’ x 19’ JumboTron will broadcast the service live. It will be positioned in front of the Martin Luther King Historic Site Rose Garden for visitors in the Historic District. Keynote speaker is Martin Luther King, III. Other confirmed participants include U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, U.S. Rep. John Lewis and singers Rev. Wintley Phipps and LeAndria Johnson. Open to the public (seating is limited). Ebenezer Baptist Church, 407 Auburn Ave. N.E., Atlanta. 404-526-8911.
- Hosea Feed the Hungry Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Dinner at Turner Field from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. This year’s annual dinner will provide 20,000 sit-down dinners and 8,000 delivered meals for homeless families in Atlanta. Volunteers will serve up 700 barbecue turkeys, 1,000 pounds of barbecue ribs and 300 trays of cornbread. In addition, attendees can get free haircuts and advice from physicians, dentists and lawyers.
- Cobb County’s 25th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration at Jennie T. Anderson Theatre at 10:00 a.m. The holiday event is free and open to the public and includes the annual presentation of the “Living the Dream” award to a community member who exemplifies the ideals of King. The event, titled “Keeping the Dream Alive: Continuing the Journey,” is sponsored by Cobb County NAACP and Cobb County Government. Jennie T. Anderson Theatre, 548 S. Marietta Parkway, Marietta. 770-425-5757.
- Annual MLK Jr. Parade/March/Rally by Hands on Atlanta. The march begins on Peachtree Street at Baker and ends at the King Center National Park on Auburn Avenue. Other activities are scheduled to take place at the King Center at the end of the Parade/March (outdoors). 10:00 a.m. Immediately following the Parade/March, participants are asked to get involved and volunteer for dozens of service projects at sites that have significance to Atlanta's civil rights movement. For more information, visit the Hands on Atlanta website.
- DeKalb NAACP 9th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade and Rally. The parade is scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m. in the Stone Mountain MARTA Station parking lot on Fourth Street. The rally will begin immediately following the parade in the Champion Theme Middle School gym, 5265 Mimosa Drive. For more information, visit www.dekalbnaacp.org.
- Cobb County SCLC Martin Luther King Jr. Parade. The life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will be celebrated with a parade that starts at Lockheed Credit Union, travels from Fairground Street to Roswell Street, left on Roswell Street and ends at North Park Square . Remarks in Glover Park follow . Sponsored by Cobb Chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. 1:00 p.m.
Even if you can’t get to one of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day events in Atlanta, it’s the perfect time to talk to your kids about the historical significance of the day. The world’s most famous civil right leader has strong ties to Atlanta. It was King’s birthplace and final resting place (The King Center). Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African American civil rights movement. He directed the peaceful march on Washington, D.C. with 250,000 people to whom he delivered his address, "l Have a Dream". King conferred with President John F. Kennedy and campaigned for President Lyndon B. Johnson. He was arrested upwards of twenty times and assaulted at least four times. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was awarded five honorary degrees, named Man of the Year by Time magazine in 1963, and became not only the symbolic leader of American blacks, but also a world figure.
At the age of thirty-five, Martin Luther King, Jr. was the youngest man to have received the Nobel Peace Prize. When notified of his selection, he announced that he would turn over the prize money of $54,123 to the furtherance of the civil rights movement. On the evening of April 4, 1968, while standing on the balcony of his motel room in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was to lead a protest march in sympathy with striking garbage workers of that city, he was assassinated.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy lives on not only in Atlanta and the South, but also across the globe. Be sure to take time today to talk to your children about the importance of this great man.
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