Jan 08 2009
Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Week Celebration
Long Beach will host a series of events leading up to the 21st annual Martin Luther King Jr. Peace and Unity Celebration and Parade on January 17. The tribute begins this Saturday, January 9, with a Candlelight Peace March at 5pm at Martin Luther King Jr. Park (1950 Lemon Avenue). On Monday, also at the park, the Boys and Girls Club will host the premiere of “Civil Rights, My Rights,” a documentary about Long Beach men and women who were actively involved in the civil rights battle. On Wednesday, the Laugh Factory will host the “Love, Laugh, Live” comedy show at 8pm.
The activities return to Martin Luther King Jr. Park on Thursday with the “Peace, Unity and Hope Youth Performance.” An Art Peace Gallery will also be open for visitors between 6pm and 8pm on Friday.
The finale of the MLK tribute is the parade and celebration to be held on Saturday. The parade will begin at 10:30am at the intersection of Anaheim and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue. It will head north on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, cross Pacific Coast Highway, and wind its way to Martin Luther King Jr. Park by noon. The celebration at the park will continue until 5pm, and the Art Peace Gallery will be open until 4pm.
