| January 22, 2006 |
| Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration Takes Place at SGI-Plaza in Santa Monica |
On January 16, 2006, some 1,000 attended Santa Monica City's official celebration honoring the life and achievements of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) at the SGI-Plaza Auditorium in Santa Monica, California, USA. Among the guests attending were Yolanda King, Dr. King's eldest daughter; Santa Monica Mayor Bob Holbrook; Dr. Lawrence Edward Carter Sr., dean of the Martin Luther King International Chapel at Morehouse College, Atlanta.
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| Yolanda King, Dr. King's eldest daughter, speaks at event |
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Dr. King "watches over" the celebration held in his honor |
The event began with commemorative speeches and songs by the John Adams Middle School Northern Honor Choir and the Jeffrey Barnes Choir. In her commemorative speech, Ms. King spoke about her father's legacy and performed reenactments of famous civil rights activists and actions, including a dramatization of Rosa Parks refusing to sit in the back of the bus. Quoting her father's words, she called on everyone to choose a life contributing to others and fighting to overcome indifference in our society. Following the ceremony, participants walked from the SGI-Plaza to the new Santa Monica Public Library, where the Martin Luther King Jr. Auditorium was dedicated to the civil rights leader. The event was widely covered by local newspapers, television and radio.
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