City keeps King’s dream alive
In 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed a bill making the third Monday in January a national holiday to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the slain civil rights leader.
The law went into effect three years later.
Well, that third Monday is right around the corner.
And so is the city’s 24th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration, which starts Saturday at Howard Park from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Look for food, music and fun.
On Sunday, the party moves to St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church on Lucerne Avenue and Palmway at 2 p.m. to celebrate Zora Neale Hurston, the iconic African-American author. There will be a jazz and stage performance by Core Ensemble, a national touring company.
Then, on Jan. 15, MLK Day, comes the pièce de résistance.
There’s a unity interfaith breakfast at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church on South E Street and 10th Avenue South from 7:30 to 9 a.m.; a candlelight march at 5 p.m. at Lake Worth City Hall; an MLK commemorative program and rededication of the MLK Memorial Foundation at 5:30 p.m. at the Cultural Plaza and to wrap up, an MLK fellowship dinner from 6 to 8 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church.
All events are free and open to the public.
If you’re interested in attending or volunteering, call Retha Lowe at 586-7276. Ah, Retha Lowe.
Perhaps you’ve heard the name before. She served as city commissioner from 1995 to 2007. She’s been involved in countless community events and, in the 1980s, she, along with several community residents, started the MLK Day celebration of their own in the neighborhood where Lowe lives.
It was a small event. Looked more like a block party than a celebration for a man who has such an impact on our nation. The event was held for about five years.
But Lowe wanted more. And she kept telling Lake Worth officials that.
They heard.
And started the city celebration 24 years ago. The event is sponsored by the city, Lake Worth Interfaith Network, Kiwanis Club and the Lake Worth MLK Committee.
“It’s become one of our signature events.” Lowe said. “And since we’ve been celebrating his dream, a lot of it has come true.”