As a part of Culver City’s King Day Celebration, more than 90 students from the Culver City Unified School District participated in the “Have We Reached the Dream?” essay competition.
A committee of teachers narrowed the competition to 19 semi-finalists, who delivered their essays in front of a capacity crowd of proud parents and supporters at the Culver City Veterans Memorial Auditorium. Based on the clarity of the message, speaking voice and word annunciation, a jury rated the three top essayists: Malik Johnson of Culver City Middle School, Peri Reynaldo of El Rincon Elementary School and Barbara Gamboa of Culver Park High School, who will deliver their winning essays as a part of Culver City’s seventh annual Martin Luther King Day Celebration on Sunday, Jan. 15.
Culver City’s King Day Celebration will also include a reading of the award-winning play “The Dreamers,” by Academy Award-nominee Margaret Avery (“The Color Purple,”) a panel discussion/question-and-answer session, an interactive poetry reading, musical performances and an art exhibit from the Mayme A. Clayton Library and Museum. There will also be a marketplace and activities for children.
“Last year our program featured a screening of award-winning PBS film, “The Freedom Riders” and two of the original Freedom Riders were on our panel discussion,” said Culver City King Day event chair Rupert Francisco. “This year, besides all the wonderful local talent we have lined up, we have an Academy Award nominee rendering excerpts from an award-winning play. Ironically, she also happens to be a former Freedom Rider.”
This year’s event also features Mayor Micheál O’Leary and former Rep. Diane Watson on the discussion panel. “It just gets better every year,” said Francisco.
The free Culver City Martin Luther King Day Celebration begins at 11 a.m. and will take place at the Culver City Senior Center, 4095 Overland Ave., Culver City.
For a complete schedule of the day’s MLK celebration events and more information, visit culvercity.org or call (310) 253-6675.