Community organizations plans events to honor King’s birthday
By Taylor Goodson
Contributing Writer
A variety of local governments and community organizations are conducting activities between Jan. 14 and Jan. 18 to observe the birthday of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who would have been 92 on Jan. 15.
Most of the activities are virtual and some are drive-through.
The Los Angeles Football Club will co-host a Read and Feed Drive-Through event at Banc of California Stadium, 3939 S. Figueroa St., from 8 to 11 Jan. 18.
The soccer team will partner with Noahs Ark Publishing, the YWCA of Greater Los Angeles, Ward Economic Development Corporation and the LAFC Foundation to provide 1,500 families with a box of non-perishable food items and a children’s book titled “Kids Journal COVID 19: United Kids Speak,” donated by Noahs Ark Publishing.
The food boxes are provided by the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, which also will include COVID-19 educational resources, testing information and additional information about the co-sponsors.
The YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation will present the 50th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Brotherhood Celebration Jan. 15. It will be live-streamed at 9 a.m. from the Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites in downtown Los Angeles.
The 2021 honorees include Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who will receive the Brotherhood Award recipient; and Sharon Robinson, vice chair of the Jackie Robinson Foundation, who will receive the Human Dignity Award. Robinson is the daughter of Jackie Robinson, who broke baseball’s color barrier with the 1947 Brooklyn Dodgers.
Stedman Graham will be the keynote speaker.
The virtual event is free to all individuals. To register for the event, visit YMCALA.ORG/MLKCelebration.
The city of West Hollywood will engage the community in a Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service with a virtual donation drive Jan. 16 to Jan. 31.
In partnership with West Hollywood Elementary and Friends of West Hollywood Elementary, West Hollywood will collect money and gift card donations to support new socks, blankets and sleeping bags for the West Hollywood Homeless Initiative.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service also will include virtual classroom visits from members of the City Council Jan. 19.
Community members can participate by sending donations online at https://secure.qgiv.com/for/homeless. Physical gift cards or personal checks can be made out to City of West Hollywood and mailed to West Hollywood City Hall 8300 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, 90069.
The Empowerment Congress and Los Angeles City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas will present the Virtual 29th Empowerment Congress Summit virtually from 9:30 a.m. to noon Jan. 16.
The Summit will center around the theme “Reimagining Civic Engagement: Fueling a Movement for a Better Tomorrow.” The program will include Ridley-Thomas’s “State of the 10th Council District” address. along virtual breakout sessions that will allow participants to engage in dialogue on various critical issues.
L.A. Works is hosting its first-ever multi-platform event to honor Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and legacy from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 18.
The L.A. Works staff hosts this event every year to build awareness and activism on the day of service. This year’s event will be held virtually through an array of engaging events.
Residents can register for the free event at https://www.laworks.com/milk.
Ignited Light, in partnership with the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza and other Los Angeles organizations, will present a day of service in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 16.
Resident can take advantage of free assistance on immigration, landlord/ tenant legal services, medical, dental, vision screening, HIV/AIDS testing and employer services. Participants also will be given fruits and vegetables.
The event will be held at Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, 3650 W. Martin Luther King Junior Blvd.
For more information, contact info@adayonorg or visit www.adayon.org.
The California African American Museum will host five virtual events to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Jan. 18.
The five programs and activities are suitable for all ages.
The programs and activities include a musical welcome at 10 a.m., a King study group at 11 a.m., a program on Black workers and social justice at 1 p.m. and a family story time and poetry workshop at 2:30 p.m.
To RSVP for this free event, visit https://caamuseum.org/programs/special-events/mlk-day-celebration-2021.
Culver City will host online events in celebration of the birthday of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Jan. 15 and 16.
At 7 p.m. Jan. 15 there will be a virtual reading of two children’s books about King.
“Who was Martin Luther King Jr.” by Lisbeth Kaiser and “Freedom Summer” by Deborah Wiles will be read and discussed along with a discussion on the continuing fight for equal rights in the United States.
Each registration includes a free craft kit, which contains an activity book and “I Have a Dream” craft supplies and instructions.
At 4 p.m. Jan. 16, a virtual participation event will be held discussing the life and achievements of King.
Advanced registration is required to participate in both events.
To register, visit https://www.culvercity.org/Services/Neighborhood-Services/Virtual-Recreation-Center/MLK-Jr.-Event.
