Lompoc – MLK Jr. Day of Celebration Event & March
**Events may have been canceled or postponed. Please contact the venue to confirm the event.
Date & Time
Mon, Jan 15 9:15 AM - 1:30 PM
Address (map)
1120 W Ocean Ave., Lompoc
Venue (website)
Dick DeWees Community Center
The Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration Committee will celebrate the life and legacy of the civl rights pinoneer at the upcoming event, being held on Monday, January 15, 2024 at the Dick DeWees Center.
This years theme will be “Voices of Today, Hereos of Yesterday, Dreams of Tomorrow.” The committee will also host a “Peace and Unity in the Community” march leading up to the event.
The march will start at 9:15 am on the steps of Grace Temple Missionary Baptist Church, located at 201 S. H St. in Lompoc, CA. The Celebration will take place following the march, at apx 11:00 am at the Dick DeWees Center, located at 1120 W. Ocean Ave, Lompoc, CA 93436. Both events are free and open to the public.
“Our committees goal is to share the message of Martin Luther King Jr. now and into the future. We come together in hopes that our that our community can celebrate his impact on the world at our annual event,” said Wiley.
This years celebration will feature key-note speakers: Keisha Edwards, Benjamin Thomas and more. Other city officials and various community groups including the City of Lompoc Police Department, YMCA, will be in attendance.
The committee has held fundraisers for the event, with the proceeds going to support the event.
“We plan to march and come together as a community in MLK’s honor. It’s ok to celebrate progress, but also understand that we have not reached the finish line,” shares Pastor Ron Wiley.
During his all too short lifetime (1929-1968), Dr. King was a leader in the movement to end racial segregation in the United States. He was an advocate of non-violent protest and became the youngest man to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (signed into law on November 2, 1983 and first officially observed on the third Monday of January 1986) is an American holiday marking the birthday of Dr. King. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year, which is around the time of King’s birthday, January 15. In 2011, a memorial honoring Dr. King was completed and dedicated in October at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., by the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation. The official address of the monument, 1964 Independence Avenue, S.W., commemorates the year the Civil Rights Act of 1964 became law.
For more information or to help sponsor or donate to the event, contact Pastor Ron Wiley at wileyrt2@cs.com or at (805)698-6010.