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Community Corner

Atlanta King Holiday Events Today

2011 King Holiday celebrated with concerts, banquets and more

(Editor's note: The following article about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and MLK Day activities appeared in our Cascade Patch in Atlanta.)

Martin Luther King became a world-renown leader of non-violent social change yet--in what we call Cascade Patch--he was once a part of the community. King would have been 82 on Sat., Jan. 15.

King led many Civil Rights student movement meetings at the former Paschal’s Restaurant and Motor Hotel on Hunter Street, now Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., named in his honor.

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At the mere age of 15, he graduated from Booker T. Washington High School and went on to attend Morehouse College.

Within the 39 years of his life, Dr. Martin Luther King was known as great orator, theologian, philosopher, a non-violent crusader and servant of mankind. Also, he was recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for working to end segregation in the United States. Dr. King’s life ended with an assassin’s bullet on April 4, 1968.

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After his death, his wife, Coretta Scott King established the King Center for Non-Violence Social Change and  led a successful campaign for a National Observance of his birthday ( Jan. 15) which is  recognized on the third Monday of January each year.

This year, as in years past, The King Center, Morehouse College and other area institutions are sponsoring a host of events and activities to celebrate King's birthday. The programs began Jan. 8 and are continuing through Mon., Jan.  17, the official MLK holiday. 

Editor's note: Due to inclement weather, organizers may cancel or reschedule activities. Please contact The King Center or Morehouse College for details about specific events.

The King Center has scheduled the following events to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.'s 82nd birthday today and Monday:

 The Martin Luther King, Jr. Annual Commemorative Service. 10 a.m., Mon., Jan. 17, Ebenezer Baptist Church, 407 Auburn Ave., Atlanta, Ga. 30312. The King Center will present, the nation’s ‘flagship’ memorial service honoring Dr. King at Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church’s Horizon Sanctuary. Martin Luther King III will deliver the keynote address, with additional tributes to Dr. King from leading public figure. Confirmed participants include U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss; Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed;  U.S. Rep. John Lewis; and, vocalists Rev. Wintley Phipps and LeAndria Johnson. Following the service, King III will join the front ranks of the annual Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday march in Atlanta.

“Youth Poetry Slam.” 3-6 p.m. Mon., Jan. 17, Freedom Hall Auditorium, The King Center, 449 Auburn Ave., Atlanta, Ga., 30312. The King Center will host a ”Youth Poetry Slam” at  Freedom Hall Auditorium, where  some of Atlanta’s young poets will lend their voices to the continuing relevance of the King legacy to a new generation. Freedom Hall, The King Center.

The King Center is located at 449 Auburn Ave., Atlanta, Ga. 30312. For more information, please contact Steve Klein at (404) 526-8944, email sklein@thekingcenter.org or Barbara Harrison at (404) 526-8911, email bharrison@thekingcenter.org. The King Center has a King Day Facebook Page dedicated to this year's King Center King Day celebrations and the King Center also has a full list of events.

Morehouse College has scheduled the following events for today and Monday to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.'s 82nd birthday:

Morehouse: King: His Dream, My Responsibility, Our Celebration. Morehouse College has played an integral part in Dr. Kings, intellectual, spiritual, and moral development.  In respect to it’s prominent alumnus, The Morehouse College: Martin Luther King Collection holds treasure to over 10,000 items representing much of King’s life and spanning from his days being him being admitted to Morehouse at 15 to the days following his death.  The collection includes sermons, letters, telegrams, and pictures for the era of desegregation.  Also, the collection holds approximately 1,100 books from King’s personal library with personal annotations. The King Collection can be viewed digitally at Robert E. Woodruff Library on the Atlanta University campus, 111 James P. Brawley Drive SW, Atlanta, GA 3031. Phone: 404-978-2000.

Morehouse College Martin Luther King Jr. Collection Display. 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Jan. 18-28.  For more information, call (404) 978-2052 or email archives@auctr.edu. To learn about the King Collection, http://www.morehouse.edu/kingcollection/index.php  Location: Robert W. Woodruff Library, Exhibition Hall near Archive Research Center. Address located above. A short video gives an insightful view to the acquisition of the King collection:  http://www.morehouse.edu/kingcollection/media.php 

King Remembrance Day of Service: Love Living Our Victories Everyday. Volunteers should contact the Bonner Office of Community Service at (404) 525-6391. Location: The Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel and the African American Hall of Fame.

Morehouse College is located at 830 Westview Drive S.W. Atlanta, Georgia 30314. For more events and information, please call  (404) 681-7554 or  visit: http://www.morehouse.edu/kingcollection/celebration.php or the Morehouse College website.

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