Lake Worth Celebrates “Realizing Dr. King’s Dream”

On Monday, January 19, 2009 Lake Worth will hold its 15^th annual commemoration Dr. Martin Luther King Day with a full slate of activities from morning to evening. The highlight of the day will be the Candlelight March through downtown Lake Worth. 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 end of the March will include the unveiling of a new addition the Memorial honoring Barack Obama, who, is to be inaugurated as the first African-American president of the United States on the following day. The remarkable confluence of MLK Day with the inauguration marks a historic step in realizing Dr. King’s dream of racial and social justice in America. The public is heartily invited to join in this special, once in a lifetime event.

At 6:30PM, immediately following the March, a Unity Potluck Dinner is planned at Calvary Methodist Church. The church is located at the corner of Federal Highway and First Avenue South. The dinner will provide an opportunity for warm fellowship across religious and racial lines in the spirit of Dr. King. Inspirational musical performances will accompany the shared “breaking of bread.” Participating religious and civic organizations will provide the food and beverages.

Earlier in the day, St. Andrews Episcopal Church will host an interfaith prayer breakfast from 7:30 – 9 AM. A brief spiritual program will feature comments from local representatives of the Jewish, Christian, Buddhist, Muslim and Baha'i faiths.

At 2:30PM, also at St. Andrews, the presentation of Ain’t I a Woman! is not to be missed. With music and drama Ain’t I a Woman! celebrates the life and times of four powerful African American women: renowned novelist and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston, ex-slave and fiery abolitionist Sojourner Truth, exuberant folk artist Clementine Hunter, and fervent civil rights worker Fannie Lou Hamer. The musical score is drawn from the heartfelt spirituals and blues of the Deep South, the urban vitality of the Jazz Age, and contemporary concert music by African Americans. Ain’t I a Woman! is a joyful exploration of the trials and triumphs of four passionate and accomplished women.

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 progress that has been made in the realization of Dr. King’s dream. All events and meals are free to attendees. The events are sponsored by the Lake Worth MLK Committee, Kiwanis Club, Lake Worth Interfaith Network and the City of Lake Worth.

Full schedule of events for Monday, January 19, 2009:

7:30 – 9:00 AM - Interfaith Prayer Breakfast, St. Andrews Episcopal

2:30 - 4 PM - “Ain’t I a Woman!” Drama Presentation at St. Andrews Episcopal

5:00 – 6:00 PM – Candlelight March from City Hall to Cultural Plaza

6:00 – 6:30 PM – Program at MLK Memorial in Cultural Plaza

6:30 – 9:00 PM – Potluck Dinner at Calvary United Methodist Church