Culver City’s 12th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration will take place on Saturday, Jan. 14, at 11 o’clock, at the Senior Center, 4095 Overland Ave.
“I’m looking forward to this celebration,” said Mayor Jim Clarke, adding that it is important every year to recognize Dr. King’s accomplishments as a civil rights leader. I want to thank the Dr. Martin Luther
King Day will feature the film “King: A Man of Peace in a Time of War,” centering on the theme, “Peaceful Warriors for Positive Change.”
There also will be
- An interfaith conversation with local religious leaders from the Culver City Interfaith Alliance
- A community forum following the film moderated by the former Committee Chair Wayne Slappy
- A spoken word performance by the Culver City High School Black Student Union
- Speeches by students from the Culver City Afterschool Recreation Program
- A dramatic rendition of Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream Speech” by actor Gerald C. Rivers and
- A special performance by Ocean Charter School’s 7th and 8th graders, playing authentic djembe drums from West Africa as a tribute to Dr. King.
The featured film “King: A Man of Peace in a Time of War” gives the audience a look at rare, archival footage of Dr. King. The film offers interviews with such notable people as the Rev. Jesse Jackson (who marched alongside Dr. King), former Secretary of State Colin Powell, journalist Howard K. Smith (who introduced Dr. King to Richard Nixon); and others, including U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel, Quincy Jones, Hugh Hefner, Laurence Fishburne, and Malcolm X.
Mr. Rivers is a talented actor, voiceover artist, teacher, and inspirational keynote speaker. In 2011, he was invited to perform in Washington D.C. to speak the words of Dr. King for the King Memorial dedication celebrations. In 2012, the Center for the Advancement of Nonviolence recognized Mr. Rivers’ work, when it bestowed upon him its Season for Nonviolence Local Hero Award.
For further information, call 310.253.6675 or visit www.culvercity.org.
Ms. White-Shearin may be contacted at arames.white-shearin@culvercity.org
