Celebrating 25 Years!
The Arlington Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration has reached a milestone. In 2014, the Arlington community will commemorate 25 years of MLK celebrations.
The Arlington MLK Celebration started in 1989 with a worship service on Dr. King's birthday, which had been established as a federal holiday in America. The celebration has since evolved into one of the largest in the country, spanning four days and involving thousands of people from many ethnic and religious backgrounds.
This week, the Celebration Planning Committee announces nationally-syndicated journalist Roland Martin as the keynote speaker at the Awards Banquet on Jan. 17, 2014. Martin is a former CNN political analyst, author and host of News One Now, a one-hour weekday morning news show on TV One. During the Awards Banquet, the Committee will also present scholarships and announce recipients of the first MLK Living Legends Awards. Tickets for the banquet are now on sale.
"We're proud to be celebrating 25 years of coming together as a community to celebrate the legacy of Dr. King," said Linh Nguyen, co-chair of the 2014 Arlington four-day celebration. "This year, we plan to enlighten, inspire and empower the community to help us advance his dream as we prepare for the next 25 years."
In 2014, the community returns to the site of the first Arlington MLK Celebration, which was held at First United Methodist Church on North Center Street. The Rev. Don Pike was the pastor who opened the church for community prayer and reflection. This year's ecumenical service will feature the Rev. Dr. Sharon Patterson, an author, philanthropist and veteran journalist.
The Arlington MLK Celebration begins Friday, Jan. 17, 2014 with the Awards Banquet and continues through Jan. 20 with a Step Show Competition, Spoken Word, Day of Service and Youth Musical Extravaganza. A Veterans Breakfast and Economic Opportunity Fair is made possible by a grant from Youth Service America and the Corporation for National and Community Service.
The Arlington MLK Celebration was established in 1989 and the founding sponsors are City of Arlington, Arlington I.S.D., UT Arlington, Tarrant County College and the Arlington Ministerial Association. For a complete listing of 2014 events, celebration history and more, visit www.ArlingtonMLK.com.
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