January 13, 2006

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Palo Alto Online

Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.

by the Weekly Staff

From dramatic readings and a sing-along to talks about peace and urban ecology, the Peninsula will honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. for the next two weeks.

Here are some of the offerings.
Friday, Jan. 13
Inauguration of the Martin Luther King Jr. Research & Education Institute at Stanford University. The institute, which was launched with a $1 million foundation grant by football legend Ronnie Lott, has now raised $4 million and will have a permanent place on the Stanford campus. There will be a performance by Guy & Candie Carawan, folk singers of the modern civil-rights movement. Former U.S. Secretary of State George P. Schultz will be awarded the Annual King Award, among others. Stanford Professor Larry Bobo of the Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity and MLK Institute Director Clayborne Carson will speak. Noon to 2 p.m. Free. Oak Room, Tresidder building, Stanford. Call 723-2092 or visit www.kinginstitute.info.

Open house and photo exhibition Museum-quality exhibition of Martin Luther King Jr. and civil-rights-movement photographs are part of the annual open house hosted by the new Martin Luther King, Jr. Research & Education Institute. Refreshments served. From 3-5 p.m. Free. 466 Via Ortega, Stanford. Call 723-2092 or visit www.kinginstitute.info.
Saturday, Jan. 14
Community Sing-Along A sing-along will be held in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and led by Folk This! at 7:30 p.m. at Fellowship Hall, First Presbyterian Church. 1140 Cowper St., Palo Alto. Donation $7-$15. Call 326-8837 or visit www.peaceandjustice.org.
Sunday, Jan. 15
Passages of Martin Luther King Jr. Dramatic reading will be rendered of excerpts from the play by Dr. Clayborne Carson on the life of Martin Luther King Jr. from his Nobel Peace Prize to his assassination, including his debates with Malcolm X. Noon to1:30 p.m. Free. Memorial Church, Stanford. Call 723-2092 or visit www.kinginstitute.info.

"Speaking Out -- for Truth, Peace and Justice" A gathering will take place at Lytton Plaza in downtown Palo Alto to honor Martin Luther King Jr. and to commemorate the third anniversary of a march to demand a congressional investigation of 9/11. Guest speakers will include City Councilman Peter Drekmeier and 13 other activists. The event is free and will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Contact Carol Brouillet at (650) 857-0927 or visit www.communitycurrency.org/.
Monday, Jan. 16
Freedom Train On the federal MLK holiday, the 21st Annual Freedom Train will depart Palo Alto University Avenue Caltrain station, bound for San Francisco, at 10:34 a.m. Trivia quizzes and other activities will be offered en route and at the San Francisco Civic Center. In honor of Rosa Parks, celebrants will be transported by bus from the San Francisco train station to Bill Graham Civic Auditorium for "teach-ins." Topics range from the civil rights contributions of Dr. King and Rosa Parks to economics, health and finances. Tickets are $5, and can be purchased in East Palo Alto at Brock Plaza, 2111-B University Ave. or at the train station at 9 a.m. on the day of the event. Event runs until 4 p.m. Call (408) 292-3157 or visit www.mlkscv.org/mlk-freedom-train-san-jose-san-francisco.htm.

Tribute to Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. An evening of special music and readings to honor King and Gandhi will take place at 7:30 p.m. Free. East West Bookshop, 324 Castro St., Mountain View. Call 988-9800 or visit www.eastwest.com.
Tuesday, Jan. 17
"First He Was a Preacher" Clergy contemplate the life of Martin Luther King Jr. with a brown-bag lecture by the Rev. Troy Jackson of the University Christian Church, Cincinnati, Ohio, and discussion with notable local ministers. Noon-1 p.m. Round Room, adjoining Memorial Church, Stanford Free. Call 723-2092 or visit www.kinginstitute.info.
Thursday, Jan. 19
"A New Green Dream" Van Jones, executive director of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights in Oakland, will speak on "A New Green Dream: Reviving Silicon Valley through Urban Ecology." Jones, a lawyer who has worked to stop inhumane incarceration of young people in California's Youth Authority prisons, will share his vision for reviving cities, the economy and people's spirits with a new wave of "green collar" jobs. The event is at 7:30 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 1140 Cowper St., Palo Alto. It is open to the public, and donations of $5-10 will be accepted at the door. The presentation is co-sponsored by Acterra, the First Presbyterian Church of Palo Alto, Peninsula Peace and Justice Center, and the Loma Prieta Chapter of the Sierra Club. For information, call Kay O'Neill of Acterra at (650) 962-9876 x345 or kayo@acterra.org.
Saturday, Jan. 21
Celebrating South African Freedom A panel-discussion symposium will include notables active in the anti-apartheid movement. The documentary film series "Have You Heard from Johannesburg?" will premiere. From 1 to 5 p.m. Visit www.auroraforum.stanford.edu.
Tuesday, Jan. 24
The Heart of Whiteness Lecture on confronting race, racism and white privilege with Robert Jensen, professor of media ethics and journalism, University of Texas at 7:30 p.m. Fellowship Hall, First Presbyterian Church, 1140 Cowper St., Palo Alto. Donation $7-$15. Call 326-8837. www.peaceandjustice.org.
Thursday, Jan. 26
Food for the Soul Down-home soul food lunch with presentations by students and others. Noon-1 p.m. Oak Room, Tresidder Union, Stanford. Call 723-2092 or visit www.kinginstitute.info.

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