The Martin Luther King, Jr. Committee of Santa Barbara (MLKSB) will present, for the 16th year, a free program honoring Dr. King and all he stood for on the national Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, Monday, Jan. 16.
Due to the rain forecast, the planned morning program and Unity March up State Street will not take place.
“The synergy of this being the 16th annual celebration and that it falls on the 16th day, is one of some provenance after two years in the virtual world, 2023 marks the return of the live event,” said Eo Brown, board president. “We’re very excited to be able to share the programs about Dr. King again with our community.”
This year’s theme is pulled from a speech Dr. King made Dr. in 1957 in Montgomery, Alabama, and chosen carefully by the MLKSB board:
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” Words that continue to resonate and remind us of such an important part of our humanity — helping others.
The David Gorospe Jazz group will greet community members in the foyer of the Arlington Theatre. The 90-minute presentation, which begins at 11 a.m. onstage at the theater, includes loca political representatives Mayor Randy Rowse, Congressman Salud Carbajal, and State Sen. Monique Limon.
Keynote speaker is Daina Ramey Berry, the Michael Douglas dean of Humanities and Fine Arts at UCSB. Berry will discuss servant leadership and the impact of Dr. King’s legacy.
Both programs will include essays and poems read in person from the top awardees of the MLKSB Essay and Poetry Awards Program (EPAP).
“It is hoped the chosen theme — ‘Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, What are you doing for others?’ ” — from a speech by Dr. King will inspire students to write about creative ways to give support to others, especially in times of strife,” said Brown, who is acting chair, along with support from co-chair Toni Schultheis.
Since the organization had to go all-viral, MLKSB thanks Delvis Stoute, program application developer, who set up an efficient system for submitting entries online.
More than a dozen essay and poetry pieces were chosen by the judges from student entries coming from Santa Barbara, Goleta, Isla Vista, Lompoc, the Santa Ynez Valley, Carpinteria, Summerland and Montecito.
Submissions followed the MLKSB theme with entrants in two age groups, six to 12, and 13 to 18 years old. The top three awardees in each age group receive a cash prize, as well as opportunities for training in public speaking, poise, appropriate dress and stage presence.
One or more may also have a chance for speaking or reading their entries at other public events, or on the radio throughout the year.
All past awardees are up on the MLKSB website at https://mlksb.org/what-we-do/essay-poetry-contest/.
Community members are asked to consider donating to the MLKSB Committee to keep these programs and outreach in place. Visit www.mlksb.org.