Community Birthday Bash Celebration

ATLANTA – The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change will celebrate 50 years since its founding on Tuesday, June 26.

On June 26th from 4pm-9pm, The King Center will host a Birthday Party on the grounds. The community is invited to the Center to see updated exhibits, hear music, and enjoy food, including free cupcakes and birthday cake. There will be spoken word performances in the Yolanda D. King Theatre for the Performing Arts, featuring spoken word artists Hank Stewart and Wanesha Spence, as well as a special multicultural youth dramatization of The King Center’s historical contributions. Gifted cellist Jen Cornell will also perform.

“On Tuesday, we remember and celebrate my mother, Coretta Scott King, who picked up the mantle after my father’s death and pushed forward to establish The King Center,” said Dr. Bernice A. King, CEO of The King Center. “My mother was a visionary and well ahead of her time. As the founder, she wanted an official living memorial to ensure that the work continues. Today, 50 years later, my mother would want us to ‘Win together with Love for Humanity.’”

The Center will host additional events throughout the year:

August 25th, 11am-5pm: The streets will be closed in front of The King Center and the grounds will be prepped for the Beloved Community International Expo. In cooperation with Consul Generals, the Expo will showcase the culture, language, food, music, education, religion, arts and humanity of various nations from around the world. The public is invited to enjoy this exciting international experience.

September 7-8, 9am-5pm, daily: 2-Day Nonviolence365^® Intensive will provide insight into Dr. King’s Philosophy of Nonviolence and his ‘World House’ perspective, as well as interactive sessions on his Six Principles of Nonviolence and Six Steps of Nonviolence. The 2-Day engages participants in discussing introductory, yet essential, Dr. King readings and teachings, including, ‘Pilgrimage to Nonviolence,’ ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’ and ‘Drum Major Instinct.’ It is a critical step in understanding how nonviolence, as espoused by Dr. King and King Center founder, Coretta Scott King, can prepare people across the globe to embrace nonviolence as a lifestyle and as a vehicle for personal and social change. This event will take place at The King Center and requires registration at https://thekingcenter.org

“My hope and prayer is that all people who want to honor my mother’s legacy will join us as we say Happy Birthday to The King Center,” stated Dr. Bernice A. King.

For more details about these events, please go to www.mlk50forward.orgor www.thekingcenter.org. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Dr. Hilda Tompkins,  htompkins@dbv.40b.myftpupload.comor Ms. Letty Ashworth, lashworth@dbv.40b.myftpupload.com. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.