BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Martin Luther King Jr. day is a time to honor the historic movement King led in his fight for equality in the United States.
The minister and civil rights activist left behind a legacy that shaped the world we live in today. Ahead of the holiday a local organization is hosting an array of events to commemorate Dr. King.
Patrick Jackson, president of the NAACP Bakersfield branch says the day kicks off at 8 A.M. with the annual MLK Day Community Awareness breakfast taking place at the MKLK Community Center on South Owens street.
Following the breakfast, Jackson says the black wall street vendors event at Saint Peter's church is set to begin at 2 P.M. consisting of food, clothing, and educational vendors for the community. .
It is a day Jackson says that serves a reminder of the sacrifices that were made during King's movement for equality,
“The slogan that has been created that it’s not a day off but a day of service. I believe that as we serve the community we get to have the self satisfaction that we can embark on a new beginning by understanding our past. What Dr. King has left for us is a blueprint to not only appreciate what God has done for us but also what he is going to do.”
To honor him in unity Jackson says there will also be a march commemoration and program filled with music and fellowship.
They are events Jackson says to inform the community about the importance of keeping King’s legacy alive,
“When you forget where you come from you kind of don’t understand where you’re headed. Understanding the struggles that we went through we can appreciate what we have today and understand that we have so much more that we can obtain if we have the remembrance of what we have been able to accomplish.”
MLK Jr. Day 2023 Events in Bakersfield
8 A.M. MLK Day Community Awareness Breakfast at the MLK Community Center 1000 S Owens St
2:00 P.M. Black Wall Street Vendors Kick Off at St Peter RCCM 510 E. Brundage Ln. Bakersfield, CA
3:30 P.M. March Commemoration
5:00 P.M. MLK Program & Youth Awards
