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Where To Volunteer And Celebrate With Community This Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend
Students from municipal schools in Caxias do Sul, a city with a majority white population in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, paint an image of US civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., as they participate in a program called "Qualifying Education of Ethnic-Racial Relations."
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Silvio Avila
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AFP via Getty Images
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Martin Luther King Jr. Day is just around the corner when we pay tribute to the late civil rights leader and the legacy of the civil rights movement.
There is more to celebrating the federal MLK Day holiday than just taking off work. The day is also designated by Congress as National Day Of Service. "We must move beyond the quotable King to the livable King," said Berenice King, daughter of Martin Luther King Jr.
We've gathered a list of events happening this weekend in SoCal where you can celebrate or volunteer to improve your communities.
Parades and celebrations
South Los Angeles: The annual Kingdom Day Parade will take place at Leimert Park and kicks off at 10 a.m. hosted by the Congress of Racial Equality of California (CORE-CA).
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Long Beach: The city is hosting the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade on Saturday, Jan. 13. The parade kicks off at 10 a.m. at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and Anaheim Street.
Following the parade, there will be a celebration at Martin Luther King Jr. Park from noon to 5 p.m. Enjoy live music, a kid's zone, vendors and more.
West Covina: The city of West Covina and the San Gabriel Valley NAACP will hold the annual tribute to MLK on Monday, Jan. 15 at the West Covina Civic Center. The event is from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. featuring live music, vendors and food. More info here.
Palm Springs: The Palm Springs Section 14 Survivors will host a rally on Monday, Jan. 15 in collaboration with other cross-cultural advocacy groups.
The rally starts at 11 a.m. at Frances Stevens Park, followed by a symbolic march at 11:30 a.m. to the United Methodist Church of Palm Springs.
At 12:30 p.m., join members for an interfaith service event with a gospel tribute.
USDA Forest Service: MLK Day also falls on one of the free National Park Days.
Skirball Cultural Center: Head to the Skirball for a free concert Saturday, Jan. 13 at 7 p.m. performed by the Inner City Youth Orchestra of L.A. The Skirball is also granting free admission on Monday, Jan. 15 to This Light Of Ours: Activist Photographers of the Civil Rights Movement from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. More info here.
Academy Museum: The Academy Museum is hosting a screening of Documenting a Movement: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Civil rights on Monday, Jan. 15 at 7:30 pm. Register for tickets here.
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Volunteer
L.A. Coliseum: The Coliseum is hosting a mega day of action on Monday, Jan. 15 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. (MLK once gave an address at the L.A. Coliseum in 1964). Volunteers will work on activities that will help with homelessness, food insecurity and other inequities. More info here.
Culver City service events: The city is hosting two service events this weekend. On Saturday, volunteers will build care packages for Exodus Recovery and Project Homekey followed by a Pancake breakfast. On Sunday, a trash clean up and bench sanding will take place. More info here.
- Saturday Jan. 20, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Veterans Memorial Park. - Sunday Jan. 21, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Fox Hills Parkette
Big Sunday: An MLK Day Clothing Drive and Community breakfast is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 15 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 42nd Street Elementary School. More info here.
Riverside: Join the Riverside African American Historical Society for their Walk-a-thon on Monday, Jan. 15. For more info go here.
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