Many Events Honoring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Planned in Dallas This Month

January is the time for new beginnings as a new year kicks off. The January calendar sets a good tone for starting off fresh, with the nation observing the birthday of a man of peace who fought for justice and equality — qualities with which few sane people can argue.Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is the civil rights icon and man of peace who, were he alive, would turn 89 this month. Born Jan. 15, 1929, in Atlanta, King was slain April 4, 1968, in Memphis at age 39.Events celebrating Dr. King this month include:Jan. 1210 a.m.: Students will perform at The Black Academy of Arts and Letters, Akard and Canton streets in downtown Dallas. Tickets are $5.11 a.m.-2 p.m.: The MLK Jr. Celebration Fair will have vendors offering health and employment information, medical screenings and educational resources at the MLK Jr. Community Center, 2901 Pennsylvania Ave.2 p.m.: An open house is planned at the Dallas Civil Rights Museum, in the MLK Jr. Community Center's main building at 2922 MLK Jr. Blvd.7-9 p.m.: Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III, senior pastor of Friendship West Baptist Church in Dallas, will speak at the annual candlelight ceremony at the MLK Jr. center, 2901 Pennsylvania Ave. The event will be hosted by the Alpha Sigma Lambda chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, of which Dr. King was a member. Winners of an MLKg student essay contest will receive awards.Jan. 135:30 p.m.: A silent auction will open the MLK Jr. Awards Banquet, a black-tie formal at the Hyatt Regency Dallas Hotel, 300 Reunion Blvd.  Continue reading...