MLK, Jr. Celebration at Mitchell Park

The City of Palo Alto and Youth Community Service will hold a celebration event to pay tribute to the life and legacy of late civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday, Jan. 16,  the federal holiday in observance of King’s birthday this year.

A series of activities are scheduled to take place at the Mitchell Park Community Center from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. that include guest speakers, local organizations, activities for youth and teens, music and dance performances, and a legacy exhibition displaying different periods of the civil rights movement. Through the interactive activities, attendees will have the opportunity to celebrate diversity and learn more about King’s non-violent civil rights activism that took place in the 60’s before his assassination in 1968.

Among the organizations participating in this year’s event: Project Safety Net, Outlet Youth, Neighbor Helping Neighbor, Aim High, the King Papers Project at Stanford University and Stanford’s Muslim Student Union, with performances by Dance Connection and School of Rock.

About the author

Victoria Thorp

Victoria is the founder and editor of Palo Alto Pulse and has lived in Palo Alto since 2007. Victoria's diverse professional background includes working as the editor of GreatSchools.org , as a senior writer for KIPP and Teach for America, and as a radio producer for City Visions on KALW (91.7FM San Francisco). She is a graduate of Leadership Palo Alto and a member of the Palo Alto Partners in Education Advisory Board.

She has a BA in English from Tufts University and Masters in Education and Secondary Teaching Credential in English from UCLA.