Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to Be Celebrated in Albany on January 16

ALBANY, NY (01/13/2012)(readMedia)-- RoAnn Destito, Office of General Services Commissioner today announced that an observance of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. will be held on January 16, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. in the Empire State Plaza Convention Center. The public is invited to attend the free program in celebration of the 83rd anniversary of Dr. King's birth.

H. Carl McCall, Chairman, State University of New York Board of Trustees, will provide the keynote address. Chairman McCall served as Comptroller of the State of New York and as a New York State Senator. His public service also includes time as an Ambassador to the United Nations, Commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and Commissioner of the New York State Division of Human Rights.

In addition to the principal speaker, there will be a number of theatrical and musical tributes to Dr. King from Capital Region performers. The program will be televised live statewide with the assistance of the State University of New York's New York Network, Time Warner Cable, Cablevision Systems, Mid-Hudson Cable, and CUNY-TV.

Following the formal program, the City of Albany "Beloved Community March" will begin at the Plaza concourse entrance on Madison Avenue. The march will conclude at the King Monument in Lincoln Park with a wreath laying ceremony.

There are a number of additional activities taking place on the Empire State Plaza concourse including an art exhibit featuring pieces created by schoolchildren statewide; a display of quilts honoring Dr. King; the Be a King volunteer fair that encourages attendees to get involved in the community; and a commemorative birthday cake that serves more than 3,000 people, which was graciously donated by Price Chopper.

To honor Dr. King's message throughout the year, a number of events are held to remind people of his vision for the community. These include a December food drive, an April career fair; and a literacy drive to collect books for schoolchildren statewide.

More information is available online at www.nyking.org.

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