Culver City will host a day-long celebration to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Saturday, Jan. 18, beginning at 10:30 a.m. at the Culver City Senior Center located at 4095 Overland Avenue in Culver City. The event is free and will feature a special public service announcement developed by Culver City youth entitled, “64 Ways to Practice nonviolence.”
Common Peace, a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of nonviolence, and veteran filmmaker and animator Bruce Heller worked with the youth at the Culver City Teen Center to produce a PSA that fosters an understanding of the basic principles of nonviolence.
The animated PSA precedes the start of the Season for Nonviolence, an educational, media and grassroots awareness campaign spanning 64 days between Jan. 30 and April 4, the memorial anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The annual campaign was co-founded in 1998 by Dr. Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, and The Association for Global New Thought (AGNT).
The development of the PSA is a component of Common Peace’s “Ways to Practice Nonviolence Animation Project,” where young people are encouraged to use creativity, personal expression, and teamwork to develop a message using the artistry of animation. In addition to the animation project, Common Peace also teaches a “64 Ways to Practice Nonviolence” curriculum for grade school and high school and hosts a Nonviolence Summer Camp.
“Debuting a public service announcement about nonviolence created by Culver City youth during Culver City’s celebration of Dr. King is a perfect fit,” Common Peace Executive Director Candace Carnicelli said. “It’s a great way to honor Dr. King and the principles he stood for.”
The keynote speaker for the Culver City’s King Day Celebration will be Dr. Michael Bernard Beckwith who is also Founder and Spiritual Director of Agape International Spiritual Center. Other activities during Culver City’s King Day Celebration include a panel discussion on the impact of Dr. King’s legacy; a special screening of the epic 1970 Sidney Lumet film, “King: A Filmed Record. . . From Montgomery to Memphis;” a dramatic rendition of Dr. King’s “I have a Dream Speech” by Actor Gerald Rivers; a special performance by singer-songwriter Rickie Byars Beckwith, Music and Arts Director of the Agape International Spiritual Center. Actress and playwright Christina Harley and motivational speaker Wayne Slappy will co-host the day’s festivities.
Information on Common Peace programs, activities and events can be found at www.commonpeace.org. For more information on Culver City’s Martin Luther King’s Celebration , call (310) 253-6675 or visit www.culvercity.org.