City Makes Plans to Honor Rev. King

The city of Glendale, which does not celebrate the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday as an official city holiday, will honor the slain civil rights leader next week with a choral program, proclamation and other activities.

The city quietly recognized King’s day with a proclamation and lunchtime movie in City Hall until last year, when it expanded the celebration to include an outdoor party and luncheon attended by about 80 city officials and employees.

King, who won the Nobel Peace Prize, was born in 1929 and assassinated in 1968. His birthday, Jan. 15, has been celebrated as a state holiday since 1982 and a federal holiday since 1986.

A one-hour program Tuesday will feature speeches by Mayor Larry Zarian and Jim Calloway, chairman of the department of leisure studies and recreation at Cal State Northridge, and a performance by the Glendale High School Choir. The event will begin at noon.

Rick Reyes, Glendale community relations coordinator, will accept the King Day proclamation at the City Council meeting at 2 p.m. Tuesday. At 3:30 p.m., two films about King will be shown in the Central Library auditorium.

On Jan. 21, the state and federal holiday honoring King, a video entitled “I Have a Dream” will be shown to city employees in the personnel training room at City Hall, beginning at noon. Material on King’s life will be displayed at City Hall and the Central Library through February.