Atlanta, GA, Jan. 10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dr. Bernice A. King, CEO of The King Center, announces a schedule of virtual programs and events in celebration of the 2022 King Holiday Observance. Beginning Monday, January 10, 2022, and continuing through Monday, January 17, 2022, this year’s schedule includes Nonviolence365® Training, Beloved Community Global Summit, Beloved Community Teach-In, Beloved Community Youth Book Reading, Beloved Community Awards (formerly Salute to Greatness Awards), Flame of Hope Ceremony, King Day Community Service Projects, and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Beloved Community Commemorative Service. The observance commemorates what would have been Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 93rd birthday.
“This year’s theme, It Starts with Me: Shifting Priorities to Create the Beloved Community, reflects our belief that it is critical, and necessary for the survival of both humanity and Earth, that we shift our priorities for a strategic quest to create a just, humane, equitable and peaceful world,” said Dr. Bernice A. King. She continued by saying, “It is a necessary, multi-faceted shift that includes shifting our values to align with a revolution of values; shifting our mindset to understand that we are interconnected, interrelated and interdependent and to engage each other and Earth accordingly; and shifting our society from being “thing”-oriented to being “person”-oriented, which will cause us to engage technology with moral responsibility, so that advancing the artificial is not prioritized over the well-being of the authentic. I have deep faith that, if we shift priorities in the ways that my father described in ‘The World House’ chapter of his last book, Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?, we can create this Beloved Community across the globe and ensure that people have the freedom to participate in government; freedom to prosper in life; and freedom to peacefully co-exist in Community. It starts with me. It starts with each of us.”
This year, the King Holiday Observance activities begin with the two-day Nonviolence365® virtual series, Keys to Creating a Culture Shift That Sticks on January 10th and 11th, 10:00 AM EST – 1:30 PM EST. This 2-part Nonviolence365®️series will explore Dr. King’s six principles and six steps of nonviolence as the keys (comprised of attitudes, outlooks, and strategic insight) for creating that shift. Facilitators and participants will discuss how to use these “keys” in relevant scenarios and with attention to current pressing needs. This is an experience for those desiring a clearer understanding of the foundational thinking and corresponding actions for sustainable change. Registration is $129 for the series. You may register at thekingcenter.org.
The King Center’s 2nd Annual Beloved Community Global Summit will be held virtually on January 13th and 14th in collaboration with partners, The Carter Center and The Center for Civil and Human Rights and is sponsored by Papa John’s International and AIDS Healthcare Foundation. There is no fee; however, we encourage you to register for the Beloved Community Global Summit at www.thekingcenter.org.
Thursday’s general session is 10:00 AM-5:30 PM. Friday includes both a general session at 10:00 AM-5:00 PM and a Youth Summit from 5:00 PM-6:30 PM. The Virtual Beloved Community Global Summit focuses on the 2022 King Holiday Observance theme, “It Starts with Me, Shifting Priorities to Create the Beloved Community.” The Panelist and audience will engage in a variety of conversations around what it means to shift our priorities to address the myriad of social justice and societal challenges facing humanity globally; how we shift our priorities; and, why it is important to make these shifts. Each session will include Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s prophetic words as a means for centering the conversation.
Panelists for the summit include Dr. Bernice A. King, CEO of The King Center; Cliff Albright, Co-Founder, Black Voters Matter; Ari Berman, senior reporter at Mother Jones; Michael Tubbs, author, former mayor of Stockton, California and author of Give Us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America; Lin-Manual Miranda, Actor, Songwriter, Singer, Playwright, Producer, and Film Director; and Audra McDonald, actress and singer. The summit will stream live on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and thekingcenter.org.
Following the general sessions, there will be a Beloved Community Youth Global Summit, 5:00 PM-6:30 PM, January 14th, for middle and high school students. The Youth Summit is an interactive and engaging conversation addressing the 2021 King Holiday Theme of “Shifting Priorities: It Starts with Me” by exploring the ways youth may influence each other, their peers and families, to begin to think and behave differently, and shift priorities, as we work together to make our world a more just, humane, and peaceful place. A diverse group of young activists will share their viewpoints on how they have individually shifted their priorities as part of the work they do and respond to questions from the audience. Participants will be challenged to continue to work throughout the year on evaluating their priorities and making the shifts necessary to help create the Beloved Community.
The King Center has invited educational institutions and organizations around the globe to join us for our 2022 Beloved Community Teach-In K-12 on Friday, January 14th. The purpose of the Beloved Community Teach-In is to educate K-12 students about Dr. and Mrs. King’s legacy and champion their unfinished work of creating the Beloved Community. The King Center has educators, trainers, lesson plans, and other resources for facilitating Teach-In discussions. In keeping with the theme, “It Starts with Me: Shifting Priorities to Create The Beloved Community”, K-12 lesson plans for the 2022 Teach-In will reinforce the knowledge, skills, and dispositions students need to not only be positive contributors to the creation of the Beloved Community but also to succeed in college, careers, and civic life. We encourage teachers to use their lesson plans on Friday, January 14th. Downloadable lesson plans and other resources for facilitating Teach-In discussions are available at thekingcenter.org.
This year’s virtual Beloved Community Youth Book Reading is on Saturday, January 15 at 10:00AM. The reading and puppet presentation will feature, It Starts with ME! The King Center’s new children’s book. Co-authors Dr. Bernice A. King and Kimberly P. Johnson along with Meeka the Bunny from the Center for Puppetry Arts will read, present a puppet show, and discuss ways children can learn how to open their hearts and minds by allowing love to drive their behavior, actions and thoughts. Attendees must register for this event. For registration information, visit thekingcenter.org.
The Beloved Community Awards (formerly The Salute to Greatness Awards Gala) is one of the marquee events of The King Center’s week-long holiday experience. This year’s event will be virtual and will stream on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and thekingcenter.org on Saturday, January 15th, at 7:30 PM. The Beloved Community Awards recognizes national and international individuals and organizations that exemplify excellence in leadership, pursue - social justice, and are committed to creating the Beloved Community in the tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The 2022 Beloved Community Awards chair is Seung (Sean) Yoon, President and CEO, Kia America.
The King Center is proud to honor Salesforce with the Salute to Greatness Corporate Social Impact Award; Salute to Greatness Humanitarian honoree, Daniel Lubetzky, founder of KIND Snacks; Beloved Community Civic Leadership honoree, Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, pastor, activist, author, and civil rights leader; Beloved Community Social Justice honoree, Color of Change; Coretta Scott King Soul of the Nation honoree, Malala Yousafzai, co-founder of Malala Fund.; Yolanda D. King Higher Ground honoree, Simone Biles, world’s most decorated gymnast; Beloved Community Youth Influencer honoree, Usher’s New Look Foundation; Beloved Community Technological Innovation honoree, Dr. Joy Boulamwini, founder of The Algorithmic Justice League and Christine King Farris “Legacy of Service in Education” honoree, Cami Anderson, founder and CEO of Thirdway Solutions. Actor, Lamman Rucker and singer, Michelle Williams of Destiny’s Child will host the awards show. There will be musical performances by singers, Kameron Corvet, Luke Whitney, Keke Wyatt, and violinist, Ken Ford.
On Sunday, January 16th, from 2:00PM-2:45PM, The King Center and partner Earth Caravan will have a Flame of Hope Ceremony in front of the Eternal Flame at The King Center. The Flame of Hope is a prayer for peace. It is a physical manifestation of humankind’s common hope for peace. After praying for Peace with Pope Francis on March 20, 2019, Earth Caravan created the “Flame of Hope” to symbolize the transformation of past suffering into future peace. The Flame of Hope continues its global pilgrimage. It is being carried by those who believe the world can change when the flame is lit in the hearts of people around the world. One Earth — One Prayer — One Flame. This event is free and open to the public. Masks are Required.
The 2022 Martin Luther King, Jr. Beloved Community Commemorative Service will broadcast live on FOX 5 Atlanta and will also stream live on Facebook, YouTube and thekingcenter.org, on Monday, January 17th, 10:00 AM-1:00 PM. The annual Commemorative Service continues to be the hallmark of the annual King Holiday Observance. Reverend Natosha Reid Rice and Pastor Sam Collier will preside over the event. The King Center, CEO, Rev. Dr. Bernice A. King, will give the Call to Commemoration. This year’s Keynote Speaker is The Most Reverend Michael Bruce Curry, Presiding Bishop and Primate of The Episcopal Church. Pastoral Greetings will made by U.S Senator and Senior Pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, Rev. Raphael G. Warnock, Ph.D. Additional greetings will be given by, City of Atlanta Mayor, Mayor Andre Dickens; State of Georgia Governor, Governor Brian Kemp; Secretary of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), The Honorable Marcia L. Fudge. Individuals making tributes to Dr. King include, former Cobb GOP Chair, former National Federation of Republican Women Officer, Attorney Rose Wing; political strategist and commentator, Ana Navarro; and author, former Mayor of Stockton, California, Michael Tubbs. International Tributes will be made by 2021 Nobel Peace Prize Recipient, Maria Ressa. Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy Student, Daja White, will give a special tribute to Mrs. Coretta Scott King.
The service will also include a critical conversation titled, “Faith and Reconciliation.” The conversation will be moderated by Rev. Natosha Reid Rice. The panelist will include, Dr. Russell Moore Director of the Public Theology Project at Christianity Today; Reverend Shannon Jones, Senior Pastor of The Gathering Baptist Church, President of Concerned Black Clergy of Metropolitan Atlanta, Inc; and Dr. Susannah Heschel, Eli M. Black Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies at Dartmouth College.
The Commemorative Service will feature musical performances by recording artists: Keke Wyatt, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Pastor Mike Jr., Le’Andria Johnson, and Emanne Beasha. Commemorative Service Choir will perform, accompanied by a dance performance by The Covington Regional Ballet. There will be an international musical performance by the Korean Children’s Youth Choir.
For this year’s King Day Community Service Projects, The King Center will join in services with the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District to collect and distribute items to those without an address, i.e (the homeless and unsheltered). The Service Project will be highlighting Love Beyond Walls and Terence Lester because of their substantive response and practical approach to serving and supporting those without an address. Items can be placed in receptacles located on The King Center’s Freedom Hall Plaza at 449 Auburn Avenue, NE Atlanta, GA 30312. For the list of acceptable items, visit thekingcenter.org.
Simultaneously, The King Center, Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda, and Youth Service America will be engaged in a Voter Education and Voter Registration initiative in honor of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday, on Monday, January 17th. This will also take place on The King Center’s Freedom Hall Plaza. Both service projects take place from 11:00 AM-3:00PM. Masks are required.
The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday March and Rally is also Monday, January 17th
Participants will assemble at 1:30PM on the corner of Baker & Peachtree Street in downtown Atlanta, GA., The march begins at 1:45PM EST and ends on Auburn Avenue in front of The King Center, where there will be a rally. All groups and Organization have assigned street assignments. Please register at www.mlkmarchcommittee.com for delegated street assignments. Invited Grand Marshalls include: Glamour Magazine’s Women of the Year, Helen Butler; Debra Scott; Nse Ufot and Melanie Campbell, President/CEO, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation.
For more information visit the March Committee’s website, www.mlkmarchcommittee.com.
“I thank all of the participants, sponsors, partners, staff, and volunteers for their dedication and hard work in making this year’s King Holiday activities possible. I am grateful for this opportunity to continue the work that my mother Coretta Scott King started. On this King Holiday, I call us up to shift our priorities to reflect a commitment to true peace and an awareness of our interconnectedness, interdependence, and interrelatedness. This will lead us to a greater understanding of our responsibilities to and for each other, which is crucial for learning to live together, achieving “true peace”, and creating the Beloved Community,” said Dr. Bernice A. King.
Our partners for the 2022 King Holiday Observance include the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park; Ebenezer Baptist Church; The Carter Center; The National Center for Civil and Human Rights; AmeriCorps; Atlanta Downtown Improvement District; State of Georgia Martin Luther King, Jr. Advisory Council, Hands on Atlanta; Earth Caravan, Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda, Youth Service America, Center for Puppetry Arts and the Martin Luther King, Jr. March Committee.
For the full schedule of events during the King Holiday Observance, event details, registration and sponsorships, visit thekingcenter.org.
These events are made possible by the generous support of 2022 King Holiday Observance sponsors, including: Delta Air Lines, Kia America, Mars, Inc., Wells Fargo & Company, Chick-fil-A, FedEx, Ford Motor Company Fund, The Coca-Cola Company, McDonald's, Cleveland Browns, Cox Enterprises, Lowes, and Target Corporation, UPS Foundation, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Papa John’s International
About The King Center
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change (The King Center) is a 501(c) (3) organization established in 1968 by Mrs. Coretta Scott King. The King Center is the official living memorial and programmatic nonprofit organization committed to educating the world on the life, legacy, and teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The King Center serves to inspire new generations to carry forward King’s unfinished work, strengthen causes and empower change-makers who are continuing his efforts today. The King Center’s premiere educational initiative, Nonviolence365®, is based on Dr. King’s nonviolent philosophy and methodology. His teachings engage participants from various sectors of society, including emerging and next generation leaders, in modules and exercises that enhance communication, leadership, interpersonal and conflict reconciliation skills.
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