Tributes on Oahu in honor of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. will again culminate with the 26th annual parade and unity rally on Monday.
But added to this year’s commemorations is a new event on Saturday: the Emancipation Freedom Walk/Run.
The African American Diversity Cultural Center has organized the event to mark the 50th anniversary of King’s historic "I Have a Dream" speech, delivered at the August 1963 march on Washington; to honor the late Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first black president; and in recognition of the 1862 signing of the Emancipation Proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln to outlaw slavery.
Plans are to hold the walk/run annually to promote peace, said Deloris Guttman, historian and founder of the African American Diversity Cultural Center.
"The world would be so much better if we view each other as human beings," she said, citing Hawaii’s multicultural background, which she said serves as a prime example of unity.
"Our ethnic diversity enriches us," Guttman said. "We can teach the world to live together in harmony."
As part of the Created Equal program under the National Endowment for the Humanities’ Bridging Cultures initiative, the cultural center will present four documentaries throughout the year that focus on the civil rights movement: "The Abolitionists," "Slavery by Another Name," "Freedom Riders" and "The Loving Story."
The organization is expected to soon post dates and locations on its website at aadcch.org of the venues that will showcase the films to the public for free.
Meantime, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s Honolulu-Hawaii Branch will hold its annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Awards Gala Saturday night.
"Empowering People, Transforming Communities" is this year’s theme. Recognitions include Lifetime Achievement Awards to Andre Wooten and Daphne Barbee-Wooten; the Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club; and awards to DeShaun Ricks, Ida Peppers and Riya Davis.
The gala at the Honolulu Country Club also is in celebration of the Honolulu-Hawaii Branch’s 52nd anniversary.
The 7 a.m. Emancipation Freedom Walk/Run at Magic Island will start at the Ewa side of McCoy Pavilion, continue around the perimeter of Magic Island and end at the pavilion, where refreshments will be served. Entry fee for the walk/run is $25 per person. Fees will be accepted on the day of the event, and proceeds will go to support youth enrichment programs at Hawaii’s public schools.
Other upcoming events in conjunction with the King holiday include:
» Annual Nagasaki Peace Bell ceremony at 5:30 p.m. Sunday on the grounds of the Frank F. Fasi Civic Center.
» Twenty-sixth annual holiday parade and unity rally Monday. The 9 a.m. parade will begin at Magic Island, proceed down Kalakaua Avenue and end at the Kapiolani Park Bandstand, where the rally will be held.
