A two-day celebration of the life and vision of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will take place during this three-day weekend at the Stockton Civic Auditorium, 525 N. Center St.
Ministers and Community United, Inc. are again organizing the Sunday and Monday event, recognizing the slain Civil Rights leader with keynote speakers and a flurry of activities.
According to Rev. Dennis Moore of the First Thessalonians Missionary Baptist Church, this is the 35th year of the MLK Jr. celebration in Stockton.
The goal for those involved is to support the youth via educational endeavors of culture, history and knowledge.  
This special celebration is free to the public. All are invited to the event.
It begins on Sunday, from 6 p.m. through 8 p.m., with Judge Lauren P. Thomasson serving as the keynote speaker. She’s the first African-American in San Joaquin County but prefers to be known for her body of work. Thomasson was appointed to the SJC Superior Court bench in 2005 by then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
A march from downtown – in the area of Center, Weber and El Dorado streets – to King Plaza (the park across from the Civic Auditorium) is planned for Monday, which is the official MLK Jr. Day, beginning at 10 a.m.
From 11 a.m. through 4 p.m., visitors can enjoy face painting, nutritious food, educational activities, and entertainment (praise dance, Hip Hop, mime and the spoken word). The guest speaker will be Michael Tubbs, the city’s first elected African-American mayor.
For more information, call 209.607.7446.