MLK Learning Fair
Saturday, February 25, 2012 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Location: Southwest Key's Walk of Heroes at El Centro de Familia (6002 Jain Ln, Austin, 78721)
Description: Austinites will celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with the unveiling of a memorial mosaic on Southwest Key’s Walk of Heroes this Saturday. The dedication is part of a free community brunch and learning fair celebrating Black History Month at El Centro de Familia in East Austin.
The event will feature interactive art and learning stations where visitors will listen to speeches and watch highlights from various parts of Dr. King’s life while constructing origami Peace Cranes or contributing to a civil rights art installation. Acclaimed poet-performer Zell Miller III, Sadé M. Jones of Ballet East, and the Huston-Tillotson University Concert Choir will perform. The event will close with the unveiling of MLK’s memorial on the Walk of Heroes.
WHAT: Black History Month Celebration and Unveiling of MLK memorial in East Austin, with music, performances, inspiring speakers and family art activities, www.swkey.org
WHEN: Saturday, February 25, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
(activity stations open at 10am, entertainment and program begins at 11am)
WHERE: Southwest Key’s Centro de Familia in East Austin, 6002 Jain Lane, Austin 78721 (next to Eastside Memorial High School), click for more information
WHO: Hosted by Southwest Key Programs COO Joella Brooks and CEO Dr. Juan Sanchez; inspiring remarks from Dr. Eric McDaniel, UT Professor and Former Texas State Representative Wilhelmina Delco.
VISUALS: Acclaimed poet-performer Zell Miller III, Sadé M. Jones of Ballet East Dance Company, and the Huston-Tillotson University Concert Choir Ensemble will perform, along with an ensemble from East Austin College Prep’s youth orchestra; memorial mosaic of MLK will be unveiled; children creating an art installation and peace cranes
WHY: Opened last May, Southwest Key’s Walk of Heroes was incorporated into the design of the 42,000 square foot El Centro de Familia to commemorate the legacies of local and national social justice trailblazers. The Walk of Heroes provides an interactive pathway leading to the community center, adorned with mosaic installations designed by Texas artist Rosalinda R. Toro. The first hero, Pedro Garza, was honored last May for his contributions that paved the way for establishment of the community center in 2007. A mosaic will be commissioned to honor an East Austin activist next year.
Dr. Eric L. McDaniel, Associate Professor in the Department of Government at UT Austin and an affiliate of the John L. Warfield Center for African and African American Studies, will deliver the keynote speech during the event. According to Dr. McDaniel, who studies the intersection of race, politics and religion, Dr. King has become like a fictional character, depicted as “happy all the time. But what we must remember is that this was a man who was very angry about what was going on.”
“The key was,” according to McDaniel, “that he did not allow his anger and frustration to turn to hate.” Dr. King’s message was “not to demonize those we’re in conflict with, but to remember they are very much like you—they care about their families and are trying to do well. If you demonize and develop a hate for those in opposition…you become something worse than the thing you are fighting against.”
Joella Brooks, chair of the event and Chief Operations Officer for Southwest Key, hopes to expose the next generation to these nuances of Dr. King’s philosophy. “We want our students and the youth in this neighborhood to connect with Dr. King, the man. His name is on the street many of our kids walk to school, his portrait will be on the Walk of Heroes outside their classroom, but to some he is a distant iconic figure in storybooks. We want to establish a deeper connection.”
About Southwest Key Programs
For almost 25 years, Southwest Key Programs has worked to keep doors to opportunity open for young people so they can achieve their dreams. Through family- and community-based programs for children caught in the juvenile justice system, youth can be rehabilitated and build positive and productive lives upon release. Through the East Austin Children’s Promise initiative, a model program designed to offer quality education to the children in East Austin, adult education, job training opportunities, cultural arts programs, and community building, Southwest Key is empowering families to improve their own lives, and their communities as a whole. For more information, visit www.swkey.org.
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