Starting Friday, the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change will begin more than a week’s worth of activities to mark the life and work of the civil rights martyr.
This year’s theme is “King’s 2020 Vision — The Beloved Community: The Fierce Urgency of Now.’” That echoes King’s 1967 book, “Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?” In it, he wrote: “We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there is such a thing as being too late.”
Bernice King, CEO of the King Center and daughter of the civil rights icon, said, “This is a critical moment in history that requires our collective attention to the soul of this nation and to the moral fiber of the world.”
Among the events will be the center’s annual fundraiser, nonviolence workshops and community conversations, as well as a voter education and registration event.
At the same time, Judy Forte, superintendent of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park, is expecting thousands to file through the area this month to honor King, who died in 1968.
King would have turned 91 on Jan. 15.
As usual, the highlights of the week will be the King Center’s annual Salute to Greatness Awards Gala and the The Martin Luther King Jr. Annual Commemorative Service.
At the Jan. 18 gala at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, the center will honor, among others, Cathy Hughes, founder and chairwoman of URBAN ONE, and Jaden Smith, an actor, musician and activist.
The Rev. Howard-John Wesley, senior pastor of the Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia, will be the keynote speaker at the commemorative service, which will be held in Ebenezer Baptist Church’s Horizon Sanctuary on Jan. 20, the actual day of the King holiday.
“Our King holiday observance events provide participants with an avenue to explore how we can channel our energy toward shaping the beloved community,” said King.
“The King Center remains the foremost authority on my father’s philosophy and methodology of nonviolence as a means to effect social change,” King said. “Amidst the current world’s climate, we are uniquely positioned to influence, educate and inspire people to embrace his teachings in creating a more just, peaceful, humane world.”
On Thursday, sitting beneath a portrait of her father, King took a break from planning events for the upcoming holiday to offer well wishes to two men who, she said, embodies his spirit — President Jimmy Carter and U.S. Rep. John Lewis.
“There is a fighting spirit in both of those men. I am praying for their continued health and wellness,” King said. “All of us have a time that expires on this earth, and none of us controls that time. … We will be here as long as God desires us to be here. To President Carter and John Lewis, I will contine to pray, uplift and thank them for what they have done.”
Both the former president and the current 5th Congressional District representative have been battling medical issues.
On Dec. 28, Carter, who had brain surgery in November, surprised the congregation at Maranatha Baptist Church by showing up for the Sunday service.
Hours later, Lewis, 79, announced that he has been diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer.
Lewis later told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he would be getting treatment in Washington, D.C, but had no plans to retire and would be seeking re-election in November.
A spokesperson for Carter, 95, has said that he is resting at home in Plains.
For the full schedule of King Center events click here.
Click here the schedule of the National Historical Park events.
