2008 Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration in Ojai
Esteemed reader Lanny Kaufer sent me a release for this year's Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration with this note... "I have a special interest in this year's program. As a veteran of Dr. King's SCOPE project I registered "Negro" voters in rural Virginia in 1965-66. Through my association with King's organization, the SCLC, I met Deric Gilliard who lives in Atlanta and is a former Communications Director of the SCLC. By piecing together sponsors and speaking engagements at local schools, we (the Ojai Valley Youth Foundation and I) managed to entice him to come out here for a few days to share his first-hand knowledge of the Movement and many of the activists who embodied it."
The eighth annual Ojai Valley Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration is Monday, January 21, 2008 from 11am-4pm at Libbey Park (fountain plaza) in downtown Ojai. The rain location is the Chaparral Auditorium.
This year’s theme is “Where Do You Stand?” Nearly every school in the Ojai Valley will be participating in this free community-wide program. This youth-led event, presented by the Ojai Valley Youth Foundation, will include art, music, and the spoken word in a festive setting with food and activities for every age.
The featured speaker, Deric Gilliard, a renowned author and civil rights activist from Atlanta, who will be addressing youth in area schools during his visit to Ojai. As the former Communications Director for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s organization, Gilliard has worked closely with national leaders in the civil rights movement such as Andrew Young, Jesse Jackson, and Rosa Parks to address social justice issues.
Event Schedule
11:00 Mayor, Sue Horgan
11:05 Chumash Representative, Julie Tumamait
11:15 Poetry Contest Winner #1
11:20 Oak Grove Preschool
11:35 Monica Ros Preschool
11:50 Emy Reynolds (performance)
12:05 Poetry Contest Winner #2
12:10 Nordhoff A Capella Choir (performance)
12:30 Topa Topa Elementary School
12:45 Living Sacrifice (gospel choir performance)
1:00 Lanny Kaufer (speaker/performance)
1:10 Poetry Contest Winner #3
1:20 Gill SOTU (performance)
1:50 Deric Gilliard (speaker)*
2:20 Nordhoff Women's Choir (performance)
2:40 Happy Valley Band (performance)
3:00 Perla and Eva Batalla (performance)
3:20 Joanna Iwata and MLK Committee (“United In Peace,” performance)
3:30 MLK Jr., “I Have a Dream” Speech
This celebration is presented by the Ojai Valley Youth Foundation and is made possible through the generous sponsorships of Washington Mutual Bank, Ojai Valley Board of Realtors, The Ojai Valley Inn and Spa and the Ocone Family.
Bio: Deric Gilliard
Deric Gilliard, born in Atlanta, graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in journalism then attended graduate school at Wichita State University. He currently serves as the public affairs advisor to the southeastern regional director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
As a former writer for Time Magazine and correspondent for USA Today newspaper, he later pursued a career in public relations as the national communications director for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), co-founded by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr in 1957.
While at the SCLC, at that time considered the nation’s foremost grass-roots civil rights organization, Gillard worked with the legends in the civil rights movement, including Andrew Young, Jesse Jackson, Rosa Parks and many others. He was on the front-lines of addressing social justice issues ranging from poverty, racism and hate crimes which he continues to do so today.
As the author of “Living in the Shadows of a Legend: Unsung Heroes and ‘Sheroes’ Who Marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,” he has addressed audiences in educational, government and corporate settings. Featured on CNN and as the first keynote speaker for the Rosa Parks Museum and Library, his compelling presentation speaks to the significance of the civil rights movement and its transformative effect on youth, our communities and our country.
Deric Gilliard’s Speaking Schedule in Ojai
Contact: Lanny Kaufer at (805) 646-6281 or at lannykaufer@sbcglobal.net
8th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration in Libbey Park, Ojai – Monday, January 21 from 1:50pm - 2:10pm
Nordhoff High School, Ojai – Tuesday, January 22 from 11:00am - 12:00pm
Santa Paula High School, Santa Paula – Tuesday, January 22 from 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Oak Grove School, Ojai – Wednesday, January 23 from 9:30am – 10:20am
Thacher School, Ojai -- Wednesday, January 23 from 10:40am - 11:15am
Besant Hill School at Happy Valley, Ojai – Wednesday, January 23 from 2:00pm - 3:00pm
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Comments (2)
Let me say, speaking from the nation's oldest city, St. Augustine, Florida, that you have a treat in store when you hear Deric Gilliard speak. His book "Living in the Shadows of a Legend" is a great addition to civil rights history--and you will do well to get an autographed copy to read and to save for future generations!
Comment #1 Posted by: David Nolan | January 18, 2008 11:14 AM
i would like to receieve a free book by post of martin p o box tt559 tema ghana
Comment #2 Posted by: ebo | September 24, 2008 08:02 AM