Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Photo courtesy of The King Center.

SANTA MONICA—Residents will get together to celebrate and promote peace, brotherhood, and social justice by participating in this weekend’s 2012 Martin Luther King, Jr. National Holiday Celebration & Community Involvement Fair. This year’s theme will be “Peace Begins with Me.” The events presented by the Martin Luther King Jr. Westside Coalition will last from January 13 to 16 with activities leading towards the 2012 MLK National Holiday Celebrations & Community Involvement Fair. The purpose of this event is to celebrate the birthday and legacy of honorable civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The event will be held at the SGI-USA World Culture Auditorium in Santa Monica beginning on Monday, January 16 at 9a.m to noon. The keynote speaker will be Congresswoman Janice Hahn. There will be live entertainment.  

January 13 kicks off this “Weekend of Celebrations” with events including the Westside Interfaith “MLK Prayer Breakfast.” The event will be held at the Calvary Baptist Church, Carter Center, at 1502 20th Street, Santa Monica. Tickets are $25 for a personal donation and $200 for a guest table of 10. The prayer breakfast is being hosted by the Westside Interfaith Council featuring speakers, reflection and prayer.

Following that evening will be the MLK Education Awards “Jazz & Blues Dinner Show.” There will be Piano Jazz with Ron Levy and Sharon Marie Cline as well as Blues Singer, Sista Jean and CB. This musical ceremony will take place from 7p.m. to 9p.m. at the Upper West, 3321 West Pico Boulevard, Santa Monica. Tickets for the event are $50 and the proceeds go to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Westside Coalition’s Education Awards for high school students as well as community college students.

Several other events include on January 13 will be the MLK Education Awards “R & B Dance Party” which will showcase the Derek Bordeaux Group. The group is known for many Motown Classics, Jazz and R&B covers.

Also on Saturday, January 14, from 9 a.m.  to 12 p.m will be an MLK Kids Party. This event teaches children about Martin Luther King Jr. and will have musical performances by Michael Cladis and Creative Playground. The MLK Kids Party is free and open to the public but space is limited.

Later that day from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., events continue with the MLK Westside Teen Unity “Peace In.” Actor Gerald C. Rivers will be a special guest. DJ’s Live Teen Bands, Spoken Words, are just a few of the things happening at The Talking Stick Coffee Lounge located at 1411 Lincoln Boulevard on Venice. Event is free and open to the public.

On Sunday, January 15 at 3:30 p.m., the Santa Monica Symphony Orchestra will host a family concert at the SGI-USA World Culture Auditorium.

The 2012 MLK National Holiday “Weekend of Celebrations” is sponsored by the city of Santa Monica, the RAND Corporation, CityTV Santa Monica, Santa Monica College Associates and Santa Monica College, as well as Soka Gakkai International (SGI-USA).

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