The 25th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Celebration is happening next Monday, Jan. 21 at the Historic Ashland Armory at 208 Oak St. in downtown Ashland.
The event starts at noon and goes until 1:30 p.m., when the Southern Oregon University’s Black Student Union will lead attendees in a march to Lithia Park where there will be live music and a recording of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech played over a loud speaker.
The celebration will feature a number of speakers including D.L. Richardson, a communication professor at SOU, as well as a re-edit of Barack Obama’s inauguration speech. Other speakers include Claudia Alick, a producer for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, who has participated in many of Ashland’s Martin Luther King Day celebrations.
Other participants include Ashland Dance Works and the Ashland Valley Gospel Group, as well as performances from the Ashland High School and Ashland Middle School students.
The event is free and open to the public, although a donation of one nonperishable food item to ACCESS is appreciated. A live broadcast of the event is also offered online at www.ashlandhome.us. Seating is limited, and it operates on a first come first serve policy, so arriving early is recommended.
