BAKERSFIELD, CA- Schools are closed and many have the day off Monday to commemorate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The Bakersfield community will be holding it's 30th annual Service Day to honor Dr. King this morning.
Dr. King would have been 85. His birthday is actually on January 15, but in 1983, his birthday was declared a federal holiday to be observed annually on the third Monday in January.
On the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Dr. King gave his famous "I have a Dream" speech on August 28th, 1963 during the march on Washington for jobs and freedom. More than 250,000 people attended the demonstration.
"When I hear his speech, my mind runs back to the time when I was in school," said Leo Williams the V.P programming the local MLK march.
Leo Williams says he was treated differently growing up in Bakersfield. Dr. Martin Luther King's speech is a reminder of how much has changed since then.
Today, many organizations around Bakersfield will end their three day weekend honoring the civil rights icon.
"There are several events going on. We're going to kick the event off with a community clean up," said Pastor Josephate Jordon.
The clean up starts at 7 a.m. Monday in Southeast Bakersfield, followed by a breakfast at the MLK Center located on 1000 S. Owens Street at 8:30 a.m.
Later this evening, a candlelight march will begin at the Liberty Bell and ends at the First Presbyterian Church located on 1705 17th Street.
"With Dr. King he wanted equality. Not just for African Americans, but for everybody. And so, I don't want the young black Americans or the young white Americans to go through life believing that it's always been like this because it's hasn't always been like this," said Jordan.
Dr. King would have been 85. His birthday is actually on January 15, but in 1983, his birthday was declared a federal holiday to be observed annually on the third Monday in January.
On the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Dr. King gave his famous "I have a Dream" speech on August 28th, 1963 during the march on Washington for jobs and freedom. More than 250,000 people attended the demonstration.
"When I hear his speech, my mind runs back to the time when I was in school," said Leo Williams the V.P programming the local MLK march.
Leo Williams says he was treated differently growing up in Bakersfield. Dr. Martin Luther King's speech is a reminder of how much has changed since then.
Today, many organizations around Bakersfield will end their three day weekend honoring the civil rights icon.
"There are several events going on. We're going to kick the event off with a community clean up," said Pastor Josephate Jordon.
The clean up starts at 7 a.m. Monday in Southeast Bakersfield, followed by a breakfast at the MLK Center located on 1000 S. Owens Street at 8:30 a.m.
Later this evening, a candlelight march will begin at the Liberty Bell and ends at the First Presbyterian Church located on 1705 17th Street.
"With Dr. King he wanted equality. Not just for African Americans, but for everybody. And so, I don't want the young black Americans or the young white Americans to go through life believing that it's always been like this because it's hasn't always been like this," said Jordan.