FAME

LOS ANGELES, CA - First AME Church's John J. Hunter invited the public to a special service honoring Martin Luther King Jr., who would have turned 83 Sunday.

``Inspired by the legacy of Dr. King, FAME Church invited the Los
Angeles Community to attend a special ceremony dedicated to celebrating the life and legacy of (King),'' he said.

Los Angeles City Councilman Eric Garcetti, Los Angeles City Controller Wendy Gruel attended the morning worship service. United States Congresswoman Karen Bass also attended service at FAME Church and said King's life had a big impact on her life.

``It is my wish that we use this day to reflect on how we can come
together to ensure that, no matter your race, class or gender, you are able to reach your full potential in the hopes that one day you can help others do the same,'' she said.

The 140-year-old church, which contains a 12-foot stained glass window depicting King, included illustrations depicting King's life and a special video tribute to King, who was born Jan. 15, 1929 in Atlanta. He was educated at Morehouse College. In 1951, he earned a divinity degree from Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania.

In 1963, the Baptist preacher led a march to Washington, D.C., where he delivered his famous ``I have a dream'' speech in which he predicted ``my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.''

He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.
A march to Selma, Ala., in 1965, was met with police and mob violence and later became known as ``Bloody Sunday.''

King drew his inspiration for nonviolent protest from Mahatma Gandhi and became one of leading anti-war activists as the war in Vietnam dragged on.

Dr. King visited First AME Church of Los Angeles and delivered a sermon when the church was located at 8th and Town.

On April 4, 1968, just a day after delivering his ``I have been to the mountaintop'' speech, he was assassinated at the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis, Tenn., at 6:01 p.m. by escaped convict James Earl Ray.

In 1983, President Ronald Reagan made King's birthday a national holiday -- it was not observed until 1986 -- to be celebrated on the third Monday every January.

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Pastor John J. Hunter and First Lady Denise Hunter invite you to join Assemblyman Mike Davis and the Los Angeles Community for the California 48th Assembly District’s 2012 Martin Luther King Commemoration. The event will take place at the California African American Museum at 600 State Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90037, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. This year's celebration will honor the President of the Los Angeles City Council, Councilman Herb Wesson.
ALL ARE WELCOME! This event is free and open to the public.

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Occupy The Dream
Honoring the Life and Legacy of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Join us at
First AME Church of Los Angeles for our 8:00 AM, 10:00 AM and 12:00 Noon Worship
Services as we pay special tribute to the life of this extraordinary leader.

First AME Church of Los Angeles
2270 South Harvard Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90018

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The Kingdom Day Parade in Los Angeles begins at 11 am at Martin Luther King Blvd and Western Ave, traveling west on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd to Crenshaw Blvd, south on Crenshaw Blvd to Vernon Ave with a festival at Leimert Park.
Join the celebration!