Dallas’ MLK Community Center will host several events this weekend. A job, health, and education fair is set for the late morning and early afternoon of Jan. 13, when people can meet with hiring managers, college recruiters, and more. That night, a candlelight ceremony will take place outside the center. On Jan. 14, an awards banquet and mixer at the Fairmont Hotel will feature a keynote speech by Dillard University President Walter Kimbrough, whose fantastic Twitter handle is @HipHopPrez.
The city’s official parade is Monday, beginning at 10 a.m. at MLK Boulevard and Holmes Street and heading toward Fair Park.
Speakers at the Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture’s MLK Symposium at City Performance Hall on Monday night will discuss “issues of social justice in the twenty-first century.” The keynote speakers are the great Jelani Cobb, who writes about race and culture for the New Yorker, and Alicia Garza, an activist who has worked with Black Lives Matter. Guests can also expect performances by the North Dallas Community Bible Fellowship Men in Worship Ensemble and Cry Havoc Theater Company, and following all of the above, a panel discussion with Dallas Morning News Editor Mike Wilson, Mothers Against Police Brutality co-founder Collette Flanagan, and others.
The MLK Oratory Competition, which asks fourth and fifth grade students to deliver a speech relevant to King’s legacy, is back at the Majestic Theatre at 11 a.m. on Jan. 13. The question speakers must answer this year is a good one: “If Dr. King were alive today, what would he say about Muhammad Ali’s contribution to society?” Here’s Lyriq Turner, a student at the Charles Rice Learning Center, with last year’s winning speech:
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The Black Academy of Arts and Letters presents its annual Black Music and Civil Rights Movement Concert at the Meyerson on Jan. 15. The program includes music, dance, and storytelling, all illustrating King’s life and legacy. Performers include TBAAL’s own choir, with guests such as B. Slade and gospel singer Earnest Pugh. Tickets are $25.
