Day of King Celebration Pays Homage to Civil Rights Leader

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School is hosting Day of King, a community celebration that honors the life and legacy of the civil rights leader and school's namesake, on Saturday, April 5th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. While most events celebrating the work of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. take place in January around his birthday and national holiday, Day of King coincides with the 46th anniversary of his assassination. "The inaugural Day of King celebration was born out of a desire to teach students about the icon their school is named after," said Principal Maria Jauregui. It is also an opportunity for San Bernardino and Highland communities to gather for a day of diverse performances by a variety of student and community groups. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School is located at 1250 Medical Center Drive in San Bernardino. “Our goal is to bring meaning and understanding to the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,” Jauregui said. “This celebration represents Dr. King’s vision and what he wanted for the community and the world we live in.” The event will feature multicultural musical and dance performances, with the highlight being a keynote address by Donzaleigh Abernathy, daughter of the Rev. Ralph David Abernathy, who co-founded the civil-rights movement with close friend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Also present at the upcoming event will be the San Bernardino City Unified’s newly formed Task Force for African-American Student Achievement, with a focus of improving parent/community engagement practices. Task force members will be asking attendees to complete a short survey that will be used to better support the District’s African-American students. “We want Day of King to encompass the principles of love, justice, and peace that were paramount to the work of this extraordinary and visionary man,” Jauregui said. “We want this to become an annual event that serves as a unifying celebration for our entire community, regardless of their background.” If you are interested in setting up a vendor or resource booth at the event, please call Instructional Specialist Shinay Bowman at (909) 388-6350. For more information about Day of King, please call the Communications/Community Relations Department at (909) 381-1250.