Martin Luther King, Jr. commemorated with performances, speeches

In the Northern San Joaquin Valley, as throughout the country, Martin Luther King, Jr. was commemorated Monday with speeches, performances, and appeals to all of us to be better. It would have been the civil rights leader’s 89th birthday.

In Turlock, Westside Ministries held an event for the first time, with dance and hip performances.. Venessa Battle Georgia spoke, sharing her a vision of racial reconciliation through prayer.

Christian Love Baptist Church in Modesto conducted its 31st annual event. Participants included Daryl Camp, superintendent of the Riverbank Unified School District, and Ellen Junn, president of California State University, Stanislaus.

One more local event is scheduled: Dolores Huerta, a leader in the farmworker movement and other causes, will speak at the 24th annual Martin Luther King, Jr. commemoration in the Performing Arts and Media Center Auditorium at Modesto Junior College, 435 College Ave.

Doors will open at 6 p.m., and the program will start at 7 p.m. Organizers will present the 2018 Martin Luther King Legacy Award to attorneys Jacq M. Wilson and Jacque Wilson, founders of Advocates for Justice. Admission is free, but donations can help with the cost. Contact Jim Costello at jcostello@igc.org or 209-402-9191.

This story was originally published January 15, 2018 at 4:14 PM with the headline "Martin Luther King, Jr. commemorated with performances, speeches."