Activities, events to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr.
Valerie McDonald-Roberts doesn’t want to talk about the usual things on Martin Luther King Jr. Day this year.
She will speak at a “youth-centered” event Sunday, hosted by the Race/Reconciliation Dialogue Group at St. Paul Cathedral in Oakland, after a commemoration Mass.
MLK Day is Monday, and a number of groups are holding events this weekend and early next week to honor the civil rights leader and efforts to continue his legacy, in Pittsburgh and beyond.
“There’s a time and a place for kumbaya, and right now we’re not in that time,” said Ms. McDonaldRoberts, Pittsburgh’s outgoing chief urban affairs officer in the Bureau of Neighborhood Empowerment. “We’re just not. In the MLK spirit, you have to speak on something challenging and something timely. I’m not there to give a nice warm feeling. I’m there to make sure we fight the good fight and get to the point of kumbaya.”
Her remarks may touch on the fatal shooting of black teenager Antwon Rose II by an East Pittsburgh police officer in June, and they might touch on the shootings at the Tree of Life synagogue that took the lives of 11 worshippers in October.
But Ms. McDonald-Roberts said she also wants to touch on things that aren’t on the “forefront” of people’s minds or incidents they might not be aware of already. “Whatever I’m going to say, for whatever time l’m allotted, it’s going to be challenging and maybe have some edginess,” she said.
Pittsburgh’s offices and recreational facilities will be closed Monday, and trash collection will be pushed back by a day all week. Here are some of the MLK Day events happening around the area over the next several days:
More than 30 high school boys basketball teams from across Western Pennsylvania and six other states will participate in the Woodland Hills Stand Against Violence Showcase.
The tournament will be held Saturday, Sunday and Monday at Woodland Hills High School. A portion of the proceeds will go to Students Against Violence Everywhere, an organization that works with young people across the country to make their schools and communities safer.
Homewood, Hill District
The Pgh Spot and the Natural Choice Barber Shop will host a discussion/forum that recognizes local heroes in the Homewood and Hill District communities. The event will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday at the Natural Choice Barbershop in Homewood.
The event will feature DJ Nate Da Phat Barber.
St. Paul Cathedral
Sponsored by the Race and Reconciliation Dialogue Group at St. Paul Cathedral, along with the St. Benedict the Moor and St. Charles Lwanga parishes, the event will begin with a Mass at noon Sunday at the cathedral in Oakland.
A reception will follow in the church social hall, where guests will hear from Ms. McDonald-Roberts.
Winners will be announced in the annual Martin Luther King Jr. School Essay and Poster Contest for children in grades 3-5 and 6-8. Winners will read their essays on “The Struggle Continues.”
Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh
The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh on the North Side is hosting a number of events Monday. Doors open at 10 a.m., and events include “King for a Day,” where guests can stand at a podium and recite passages from King’s speeches; a fourhour webcast hosted by teens called “Streaming Justice,” which will feature music, conversation and listener calls on civil rights topics; and other art and music activities.
Admission is free for members and children under 2 years old. Others are $16 for adults and $14 for children and seniors.
Allegheny County Bar Association
The Allegheny County Bar Association hosts an annual prayer breakfast to honor King’s accomplishments and contributions to law and social justice.
This year, the association will honor Larry E. Davis, director of the Center on Race and Social Problems at the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work, with the Drum Major for Justice Award. It will also honor the New Pittsburgh Courier newspaper with a special Legacy Award.
The free breakfast will begin at 7:30 a.m. Monday at Ebenezer Baptist Church in the Hill District. The program will begin at 8:30 a.m.
Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center
The Midland Women’s Civic Club will host its annual King Day celebration Monday at the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center in Midland.
The day will begin with a professional development session presented by retired KDKA-TV reporter Harold Hayes, who will speak about how television changed the course and perception of the civil rights movement.
Following a luncheon, there will be music, dance and multimedia presentations. Keynote speaker is media personality and life and business coach Darieth Chisolm, formerly of WPXITV. Tickets are available through the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center’s box office for $20.