dr. king

dr. king

6th District Councilmember Dee Andrews thinks—and quite reasonably so—that we having been increasingly lacking a deeply held democratic belief: peace.  For Andrews, no one has represented the American version of this belief more than Martin Luther King, Jr.—and it is only through sharing King’s vision with our growing youth that a unified vision of peace can exist. 

That’s why he and the City of Long Beach have co-organized Peace Week, seven days of events that fill the time before the observed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day with events that spread Dr. King’s message of peace.

“It is simply about expanding the community consciousness on the legacy of Dr. King,” Andrews told the Post. “We want to showcase the majority of King’s work to inform the youth what he literally died for: peace.”

Andrews feels, on perhaps a deeply personal level, a sense of apathy amongst the younger generation and what King represents. According to the councilmember, all too often kids dismiss King’s legacy as someone who “just died in the 1960s.”

“They truly don’t know what he did,” explained Andrews. “He didn’t just fight for the few; he fought for everyone.”

Kicking off the district’s Peace Week this past Saturday was a candlelight peace march starting and ending at MLK Park. The councilmember, his office and various community leaders will also host a series of events that help foster the ideologies of King and his work within civil rights as well as honor several community Peacemakers for their efforts in continuing this legacy. The week will be capped off with the 25th anniversary of the MLK Day Parade on Saturday.

“When it comes down to it, there isn’t a need to ask, ‘Why can’t we be friends?’ because we can,” Andrews said. “It’s that simple. We can walk together, pray together, go to school together—all of these things are achievable if we just act upon it.”

Peace Week events include:

  • Martin Luther King Jr. Presentation & Peace Maker Award, on Tuesday, January 15 at 4:00PM, at Long Beach City Council Meeting, City Hall, 333 West Ocean Blvd. In honor of Dr. King and the recognition of local community leaders that have continued the message of peace.
  • “Vision of Peace” Sponsored By Long Beach Human Dignity Program, on Wednesday, January 16 at 6PM, Martin Luther King, Jr. Park, 1950 Lemon Avenue.  An evening of poetry and short story readings from the Vision of Peace Project.
  • A Day in the Life of Martin Luther King, Jr. through the Eyes of Our Community Leaders, on Thursday, January 17 from 4:30PM to 7:00PM, at Martin Luther King, Jr. Park’s Social Hall, 1950 Lemon Avenue.
  • 25th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Peace and Unity Parade Celebration on Saturday, Janaury 19 beginning at 10:30AM intersecting Anaheim Street and MLK Avenue. It will proceed North on Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, turn right (East) on 19th Street, and turn left (North) on Lemon Avenue. Parade Parking is available at Long Beach City College, located at Orange Avenue and Pacific Coast Hwy. From the hours of 7:30AM to 10:00AM, at this same location, shuttle buses will be transporting participators and spectators to and from the parade route. For more information contact the Office of Sixth District Councilman Dee Andrew 562-570-6816 or log on to www.longbeach.gov/district6.

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