MLK events in Lake Worth Beach to offer show of solidarity to immigrants
Candlelight march, music, unity breakfast highlight city’s 32nd annual celebration of holiday honoring civil right leader
Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations in Lake Worth Beach this weekend will honor the civil rights leader’s life and legacy through music, neighborhood clean-ups and a candlelight march.
This year’s program will also spotlight what organizers note as current challenges to King’s message of fostering unity in diversity. Throughout the weekend, MLK Day events around town will offer a show of solidarity to people impacted by federal immigration policies.
It’s a topic city officials have struggled with in the face of criticism by immigrant advocates over enforcement tactics by ICE and Florida Highway Patrol. It’s also an issue that cannot be overlooked during celebrations honoring a man who stood for justice, racial equality, and human rights, organizers say.
“We are convinced that if Dr. King was still among us, he would be collaborating with the immigrant communities now under duress,’’ Ted Brownstein of the Lake Worth Interfaith Network, a co-sponsor of the city’s MLK Day events.
Families affected by ICE raids will participate in the annual candlelight march Jan. 19 from City Hall to the Cultural Plaza. And at an interfaith unity breakfast earlier that day, a short video by Wellington filmmaker Richard Jackson of Nyceflix will feature testimony from local Guatemalan children whose parents were detained in immigration crackdowns.
“It is definitely challenging to see all that is going on and the impact it has on people and their families,’’’ said Patrick Livingston of Arms of Hope, a co-sponsor of the city’s 32nd annual MLK Day celebrations.
“These are the very issues that Dr. King campaigned against,’’ he said. ’“Human rights is definitely the number one topic in his speeches.’’
Promoting the holiday on social media, organizers have shared a King quote: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”
The immigration challenges faced by families won’t dominate the weekend’s events, “but it will be part of the discussion,’’ said Brownstein, who said he marched with MLK and a crowd of 30,000 at a 1966 rally in Chicago.
“We always try to be relevant and not just celebrate Dr. King’s accomplishments but also look at the work that still needs to be done,’’ he said.
Here’s the schedule of Lake Worth Beach’s 32nd annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations. All events are free:
Friday Jan. 17
Superstars of the Harlem Renaissance — A musical performance celebrating African American culture in New York City during the 1920’s and ‘30’s.
7 p.m. St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 100 North Palmway (northeast corner Lucerne Avenue and Palmway)
Light refreshments and a fellowship hour will follow the program. For more information, call (561) 310-3230.
Saturday Jan. 18
Community Service Day
8 a.m. Norman J. Wimbley Gymnasium, 1515 Wingfield St.
Volunteers of all ages are invited to meet for a community clean-up organized by Healthier Lake Worth.
12 p.m. 9th Avenue and G Street
Community Resource Fair hosted by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and a community clean-up.
Monday, Jan. 20
MLK Interfaith Unity Breakfast
8 a.m. Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 402 North M St.
Featuring representatives of more than a dozen faith communities, a video highlighting the challenges faced by Lake Worth’s immigrant families, a performance by the Lake Worth Community High School drama department, and a youth-led musical program.
Candlelight March
4 p.m. City Hall
A musical singalong followed by a candlelight march down Lake Avenue to the MLK “Ball” Memorial at the Cultural Plaza for a short commemorative program.
6 p.m. Fellowship Dinner at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 402 North M St.
Sponsored by the Lake Worth MLK Committee, the City of Lake Worth Beach, Lake Worth Interfaith Network, Healthier Lake Worth, For The Children, Inc, Arms of Hope, and Hoops to Hope.
Volunteers are needed. Call Retha Lowe at (561) 582-7276.