Monday January 21 is the annual MLK Day holiday. For 27 years Tucsonans marched from the UA Mall (Old Main) to Reid Park to celebrate this great civil rights leader who was struck down on April 4, 1968. I’ve walked part way a number of times with this march, and it was a long way from the University of Arizona to Reid Park, and back.

This year the March is moved to the UA campus and will begin at the MLK Student Center at 1322 E. 1st St. (2nd Street and Mountain) and march to Old Main (east side). Then there will be a celebration from 10 to 3:30 p.m. at the UA Mall.

For more information contact Donna Liggins at 520-237-7806, Dierdra Jones at 520-370-6528, or Clarence Boykins at Clarence540@aol.com.

And please join in this march & celebration to remember a great civil rights leader.

Let us remember Martin Luther King Junior‘s birthday in the wake of the violence of January 8, 2011 here in Tucson, Arizona.

Martin Luther King, Jr. from wikipedia

January 15 was slain civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. This year the MLK holiday is celebrated on January 17, but I think this year our minds are mostly remembering the recent mass murders here in Tucson exactly a week ago on January 8, 2011 of six innocent persons, along with the shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle “Gabby” Giffords of CD 8 and 12 other civilian bystanders.

King preached non-violence and marched for civil rights and peace. Yet he was struck down at age 39 by an assassin’s rifle bullet in Memphis, Tennessee.

Our nation was shocked even more when two months later former New York U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy was also assassinated by a man with a hand gun, while Kennedy was campaigning for U.S. President. He was 42 years old.

I would like to think that King’s message of non-violence and peace resonated with generations of people after these two horrible assassinations, both in 1968. I had hoped that his death had not been in vain. Now I’m not so sure based on the recent mass attack by an 22 year old armed man in Tucson of an innocent crowd of constituents waiting to talk to their U.S. Congresswoman. 6 brave Americans gave up their lives that Saturday morning.

As U.S. President Barack Obama said at the memorial service at the University of Arizona’s McKale Center on January 12, 2011:

They were fulfilling a central tenet of the democracy envisioned by our founders – representatives of the people answering to their constituents, so as to carry their concerns to our nation’s capital. Gabby called it “Congress on Your Corner” – just an updated version of government of and by and for the people.

Such senseless tragedies, for people just “practicing democracy.”

Let us continue to work towards mutual cooperation, tolerance, acceptance, and civil discourse. On Friday local politicians in Tucson pledged at a press conference to “commit to promote a civil discussion of the issues we face.” Let’s hope they fulfill their pledge.

Please join in the MLK March starting at the U of A Mall (8:30 a.m.) and Festival Celebration at Reid Park (10:30 a.m.) on Monday January 17. Let us together pray, march, and celebrate in Dr. King’s name for all that he stood for.

Violence has no place in our society.

1/17/11 Update: speaking today at the MLK opening ceremony at U of A mall:
Clarence Boykins (organizer of this event for 26 years from Tucson-Southern AZ Black Chamber of Commerce), Congressman Raul Grijalva (CD 7), Mayor Bob Walkup, Pima County Supervisor Richard Elias, former City Councilman Chuck Ford, Councilman Richard Fimbres, Eva Dong Carrillo from Sunnyside School Board. Also attending: City Councilman Paul Cunningham and City Manager Mike Letcher, and thousands of Tucsonans.

“FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PEOPLE OF COLOR FESTIVAL – SEPTEMBER 11, 2010

Tucson, AZ – The 5th annual People of Color Festival takes place on Saturday, September 11th from 8:00am-1:00pm at the Northwest Neighborhood Center (2160 North 6th Avenue, south of Grant Road).

This festival, focusing on the promotion of health and wellness among African Americans and the medically underserved of Southern Arizona, is sponsored by the Coalition for African American Health and Wellness, and features free entertainment, games, food, health and safety exhibits, workshops, health screenings, activities for kids, and door prizes.

The People of Color Festival supports efforts to reduce health disparities as part of Arizona Healthy People 2020. Our theme: “Wellness, Mind, Body, and Soul,” and our keynote speaker, Dr. Cheryl Ritenbaugh, University of Arizona Professor of Family and Community Medicine, will open the session around 10:00am with her presentation “Complimentary, Alternative, and Traditional Medicines: Systems of Care Focused on Wellness for the Whole Person.” Following her will be panel presentations on Mind, Body, and Soul.

“We’re excited about this year’s event that will bring together resources to help people of color and others who are medically underserved address their well-being and get information and support to become better stewards of their own health and our community’s health,” said Mary F. Stoute, president of the Coalition for African American Health and Wellness.

One of the highlights of the festival will be the presentation of Harriet Tubman Vanguard Awards to seven outstanding and unwavering supporters of community health and wellness:
Community Health Activist: Sheila H. Parker, MPH, DrPH
Community Health Educator: Paul Appleby
Community Health Provider: Nicola Finley, M.D.
Community Health Volunteer: Mary F. Stoute
Community Organization: SAAF (Southern Az Aids Foundation)
Faith-Based Organization: Mt. Calvary Baptist Church
Community Health Policy Advocate: Linda Leatherman

The 2010 People of Color Festival sponsors include Community Partnership of Southern Arizona, La Frontera Center, SAAF, El Rio Community Health Center, Pima County Health Department, Tucson Interfaith HIV/AIDS Network (TIHAN), Tucson Southern Arizona Black Chamber of Commerce, and Friendship Missionary Baptist Church.”

About the Coalition for African American Health and Wellness: “Our mission is to promote healthy living and improve the overall quality of life for African Americans and medically underserved people in the Tucson community.”

For more information, visit www.caahw.org or contact Mary F. Stoute, President of the Coalition, at (520) 471-6481 or maryapple@aol.com.

I’ve been to this festival in the past (being a so-called “Person of Color”) and there was lots of helpful health & well-being information for all minority populations.

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