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People in the San Francisco Bay Area will join together to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 21. Here’s a look at some of the top events going on:
East Bay
30th Annual El Cerrito Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration: The two-day event, featuring a theme of “Moving the Wisdom of our Past Forward Towards Justice,” takes place Jan. 20-21. It kicks off with a free screening of “Cracking the Codes,” a documentary film addressing the systemic causes and potential responses to racial inequity at 4 p.m. Jan. 20 at the El Cerrito High School Performing Arts Theater. On Jan. 21, people will gather at 8:30 a.m. at City Hall Plaza and at 9:30 a.m. begin marching to El Cerrito High School, where a rally and program starts at 11 a.m. For details, and to RSVP for the film screening, visit http://ca-elcerrito.civicplus.com
Piedmont MLK Day celebration: The theme for this 22nd annual celebration is “Beyond the Dream: King Speaks Out Against Poverty.” The event runs 12-2:30 p.m. Jan. 21 at Piedmont Veterans Memorial Hall and features performances by the Black Sheroes, a division of the youth ensemble Young Gifted and Black; Oakland Jazz Workshops; Together We Slam of Piedmont High School; and Oakland Interfaith Youth Choir. Invited speakers include congresswoman Barbara Lee, D-Oakland; State Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks; Oakland’s Youth Poet Laureate Leila Mottley, and more. Visit www.padc.info.
Hayward Martin Luther King Day Celebration and March: The event, with the theme of “Lack of Shelter — Homes for Everyone,” begins at 9:30 a.m. at City Hall Plaza in Hayward. It is organized by the South Hayward Parish, a collection of area church congregations addressing issues of homelessness, poverty and social justice. The event will include music, readings of Dr. King’s works, a march along the main streets of downtown Hayward and more. For more information, visit southhaywardparish.org.
In the Name of Love: The 17th annual MLK tribute concert features Jeanie Tracy, Kev Choice, Faye Carol, Terrie Odabi, Alvon Johnson, Scott Thompson and Daria Johnson; 7 p.m. Jan. 20 at Scottish Rite Center, Oakland; $25-$65 (proceeds benefit Living Jazz Children’s Project); www.livingjazz.org.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Film Festival: The African American Museum & Library at Oakland presents its annual film festival in honor of the great civil rights leader. Festival runs 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Details can be found at www.oaklandlibrary.org.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service: There are a number of Day of Service events going on in the Bay Area, including one at the Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline in Oakland. Volunteers are asked to come out and help clean and restore the shoreline. Event runs 8:30 a.m.-12 noon. For more information, visit www.ebparks.org.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Oratorical Festival & Poetry Slam: Students will gather to perform/read an essay, speech, or poem honoring King and celebrating his message of peace, tolerance and social justice, starting at at 10:30 a.m. at the Senior Community Center at 13909 E. 14th St. in San Leandro. For details, visit sanleandro.org/depts/rec/special_events.
The Peoples March — Reclaim King’s Radical Legacy: The fifth annual march is hosted by the Anti-Terror Project and is at 11 a.m. Jan. 21 at Oscar Grant Park in Oakland. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/events/306880009918687.
South Bay/Peninsula
The Caltrain NorCalMLK Celebration Train: Caltrain is once again providing free transportation for those wishing to attend the NorCalMLK events in San Francisco on Jan. 21. The train departs San Jose’s Diridon Station at 9:45 a.m. on Jan. 21, making stops in Palo Alto at 10:05 a.m. and San Mateo at 10:25 a.m., before reaching San Francisco at 10:50 a.m. It’s a free, ticketed service, which means you must register in advance to receive a free commemorative ticket (which is good for a southbound Caltrain trip as well, after 1 p.m. on Jan. 21). Tickets are limited due to train capacity, http://www.caltrain.com/riderinfo/specialevents/CelebrationTrain.html.
MLK Day of Service and East Palo Alto Mayor’s Tree Planting: At this fourth annual event, volunteers will work with Canopy, Grassroots Ecology and the San Francisquito Joint Powers Authority to “create new habitat for local pollinators and bird species at several of the recently reopened entry points of the Bay Trail in East Palo Alto.” Volunteers will be planting trees and plants in order to create “inviting gateways to the Bay Trail and other urban green space.” Event runs 9-a.m.-12:30 p.m. at Martin Luther King Park, 435 Daisy Lane, East Palo Alto. For more information, visit http://canopy.org/event-calendar/.
MLK Youth Leadership Training: Middle and high school youth are taught how to originate, plan and execute service projects. After a one-hour training, participants meet with civic leaders and business professionals at the Martin Luther King Jr. VIP Reception and Stop the Violence event. Event runs 1-2 p.m. Includes luncheon. Jan. 19 at Mayfair Community Center, 2039 Kammerer Ave., San Jose; $50; www.eventbrite.com.
San Francisco
The Northern California Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Foundation (NorcalMLK): The organization is hosting its annual MLK celebrations in San Francisco. The theme for MLK2019 is “We Are In This Together.” Events are free and open to the public (unless otherwise noted) and include a 1.5-mile march/parade beginning at 11 a.m. Jan. 21 from the Caltrain Station in downtown San Francisco, honoring the famed Selma-to-Montgomery marches and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. There will be live music following the march/parade’s conclusion at Yerba Buena Gardens. MLK events also include lectures, films, an arts festival, a health fair and other events Jan. 19-21. More information can be found at sfmlkday.org.
The Museum of the African Diaspora: MoAD is offering free admission on Jan. 21 and has plenty of events planned, including screenings of “Martin Luther King, Jr. in India” documentary and performances by Dimensions Dance Company and Prescott Circus. Hours are 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Visit www.moadsf.org for more information.
