MLK Day Celebration Moves Forward for 2013
A full slate of activities will be held this year in Lake Worth in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. on January 19th through January 21st. The programs will develop the theme, Faithfully Moving Forward.
The highlight will be the 19th annual Candlelight March through downtown Lake Worth on Monday, January 21st. Included will be young and old; veterans of the civil rights movement as well as a multitude of church and school groups. Participants will gather at 5 PM at City Hall and parade down Lake Avenue to the MLK “Ball” Memorial. A brief commemorative program at the Memorial will recognize the progress that the City of Lake Worth has made over its 100 year history toward fulfillment of Dr. King’s Dream.
Following the March, a Fellowship Dinner is planned at First Baptist Church. The church is located at Second Ave. South and M Street, just a block south of the Memorial. Light entertainment is planned. The free dinner will provide an opportunity for warm fellowship across religious and racial lines in the spirit of Dr. King. Sponsoring religious and civic organizations will provide the food and beverages. Members of the general public are invited to help with the dinner preparations which will begin at First Baptist at 4 PM or to contribute a side dish or a dessert.
Earlier in the day, St. Andrews Lutheran Church, 10th Avenue South and E Street, will host an interfaith prayer breakfast from 7 – 9 AM. The program will feature prayer and music by local representatives of Lake Worth’s diverse faith traditions.
Then at 2 PM, the public will be treated to the thrilling musical and drama presentation, Ain’t I A Woman, at St. Andrews Episcopal Church (Lucerne Avenue and Palmway). Core Ensemble (cello, piano, percussion and actor) performs an original musical score drawn from the spirituals and blues of the Deep South and urban vitality of the Jazz Age, as accompaniment to the stage presentation of the lives of four renowned African-American women; Zora Neale Hurston, Soujourner Truth, Clementine Hunter and Fannie Lou Hamer. Admission is free.
On Saturday, January 19th at 4 PM, the Lake Worth Interfaith Network will host a silent prayer vigil downtown at the MLK Memorial. The vigil will provide an opportunity to reflect on Dr. King’s philosophy of nonviolent social action on issues currently facing our city and our nation.
Dr. King’s Dream encompassed the hopes and dreams of all Americans. Members of every racial, religious and ethnic group in Palm Beach County are invited to join Lake Worth residents in their celebration of the diversity of our community. All events are free of charge to the public, sponsored by the City of Lake Worth, Kiwanis Club, Lake Worth Interfaith Network and the Lake Worth MLK Committee.