King Holiday Observance Celebration 2014

Date: January 10, 2014
Contact: Robert T. Parker, [phone]

Heritage Sanctuary at Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church.

NPS

ATLANTA, GA- The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site commemorates the 28th observance of the Federal Holiday that honors the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with several special activities and events in collaboration with The King Center, Inc. and other community-based organizations."Visitation to the National Historic Site reaches its peak during King Week (January 10-20, 2014) and this year the park has created a dynamic, powerful, and relevant program for our visitors," stated Judy Forte, Park Superintendent.

The National Park Service in partnership with The King Center introduces:"Celebrating the Nonviolent Legacy of Yolanda D. King through the Arts!" This new and unique program will screen three documentaries followed by audience discussions as examples of how nonviolence can be expressed through film on Saturday, January 11, 2014 starting at 11:00am-6:00pm. The first screening is titled, The Loving Story which will be shown at the National Park Service Visitor Center Theater at the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site located at 450 Auburn Avenue.

11:00am -The Loving Story is the inspiration and heartwarming story of Mildred and Richard Loving, an interracial couple who married in 1958 despite Virginia's miscegenation laws.

1:15 pm - The Trials of Muhammad Ali covers Ali's toughest bout: his battle to overturn a five-year prison sentence for refusing US military service in Vietnam.

3:45 pm - Girl Rising tells the stories of nine girls from different parts of the world who face arranged marriages, child slavery, and other heartbreaking injustices.

Special Note: The 1:15pm and 3:45pm screenings will be held at The King Center's Freedom Hall,located at 449 Auburn Avenue.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site, The King Center, Inc., Presbyterian Church Peace and Justice Committee, the MLK March Committee, the Atlanta Police Department, Georgians for Gun Safety, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and others will sponsor together a free community-wide screening of Trigger: The Ripple Effect of Gun Violence on Thursday, January 16, 2014 at Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, Heritage Sanctuary at 7:30pm. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion. Panelists will include "Killa Mike Render", APD Sgt. Corey Andry, Rev. Dr. Raphael Warnock, Alice Johnson, Lucy McBath (the mother of Jordan Davis). The moderator will be Ronnie Mosley. Many communities across the nation have been impacted by gun violence. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) recently produced this documentary film Trigger: The Ripple Effect of Gun Violence, which examines the ripple effect one shooting has on a survivor, a family, a community, and a society.

On Friday, January 17, 2014 at 8:00pm at Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, Horizon Sanctuary, celebrate with the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site, The King Center. Inc., The King Family Legacy Foundation, The MLK March Committee, Awspire Entertainment Group and Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in a special event acknowledging Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s journey of Civil Rights in America and his 50 year legacy as a recipient of the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize. This program, "A Tribute to the Movement: Messages in the Music" is a celebration of music, poetry, spoken word, liturgical dance and other art forms of expression with emphasis on the long-standing Civil Rights history struggle for equality. This musical tribute aims to entertain and educate the general public on the importance of "meaning" and "messages" in music connected to historical and contemporary social movements in America. Throughout the modern day struggle for social change in America during the 1950's and 60's songs were used as a universal language that unified groups of individuals and focused their energy. Singing inspired people at church meetings, sit-ins, marches, and other nonviolent demonstrations, and gave activists the courage to keep protesting in the face of serious danger from the opposition. Commonly, the songs chosen for these purposes were traditional hymns and spirituals with adapted lyrics that had several layers of meaning but expressed one consistent underlying message: a desire for freedom from racial prejudice. This event seeks to challenge this and future generations to continue to utilize music and the arts as a form of expression conveying significant meaning to the masses to combat racism and injustices with messages of peace and equality.

On Monday, January 20, 2014, the National Park Service, Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site will have an open house of Dr. King's Birth Home with extended visitation hours until 6:00 pm. All events are free of charge and open to the public.

This program is part of a year-long series of events commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s receiving the Nobel Peace Prize and the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.For more information on this and upcoming events at the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site, visit www.nps.gov/malu or call (404) 331–5190.