Martin Luther King Day events are marching forward this year with determination to continue progress toward Dr. King’s dream of the Beloved Community. Looking over news events of the last few years, who can doubt that much yet needs to be done to bring our various ethnic groups together as a united people? MLK Day provides an opportunity to remind ourselves of Dr. King’s nonviolent call for social change: “Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.”
This 29th annual Lake Worth Beach MLK Commemoration will begin with a musical theater program on Friday, January 13th at 7pm at St. Andrews Episcopal Church. The presentation, entitled, Of Ebony Embers, showcases artists from the Harlem Renaissance. A collection will be taken for Lake Worth’s MLK Scholarship Fund.
New in 2023 will be zoom small group discussion hosted by Partners in Racial Justice on Saturday, January 14th, 4 pm, “Connecting Hearts Towards the Elimination of Racism.” Pre-register at oneness.chat.
The annual MLK Unity Interfaith Breakfast will be held at Peniel Haitian Baptist Church (the former Scottish Rite building, 2000 N. D Street) on Monday, January 16 from 7 – 9 am. The program will feature youth performers, from pre-school to high school, along with music and inspiration from interfaith leaders in the tradition of Dr. King, gathering blacks and white, Catholics and Protestants, Jews and Gentiles as one human family.
Later that afternoon, at 4:30 pm, the public will gather near the steps of City Hall for a Civil Rights sings-along with Mel & Vinnie, followed by the highlight of the day, the Candlelight March through downtown Lake Worth. The procession will terminate at the MLK “Ball” Memorial in the Cultural Plaza, M Street and Lake Ave. A brief commemorative program will be held there recognizing the accomplishments and unfinished business of Dr. King’s legacy.
And there is more to come in February. An exciting series of events will mark the third annual 28-Days of Anti-Racism to correspond with Black History Month. This project of the Lake Worth Interfaith Network will feature a walking tour of segregation era sites, visits to historic black churches, support of Black owned businesses, as well as daily readings on racial justice. See Facebook: LWIN’s 28 Days of Anti-Racism for further details.
Dr. King’s legacy encompasses 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 Beach residents in their celebration of the diversity of our communities. All events are free of charge to the public, sponsored by the Lake Worth MLK Committee, the City of Lake Worth Beach, Lake Worth Interfaith Network, For the Children, Inc, Healthier Lake Worth, PNC Bank and Kiwanis Club.