Reston Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration (PDF)
Former South Carolina state legislator Bakari Sellers to deliver keynote address
RESTON, VA — Reston Community Center will have a full slate of community events January 18 to 20 as it presents the 35th Annual Reston Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration.
Bakari Sellers, a former member of the South Carolina state legislature who is considered a rising and leading voice for a new generation of African Americans, will deliver this year’s Keynote Address at 11:00 a.m. on January 20 at RCC Hunters Woods. Attendees will enjoy a family-style community lunch at RCC Hunters Woods following Sellers’ speech.
Tickets are $5 for Reston residents and employees, and $10 for all others. Tickets to the Community Lunch and Keynote Address are required. Tickets are available at the CenterStage Box Office or by calling 703-476-4500.
“The times cry to us for action and engagement,” said Beverly Cosham, Chair of RCC’s Board of Governors. “We will gather to ignite our commitments to take action, to remember the human rights for which Dr. King laid down his life, and to replenish our spirits in the company of people from throughout our community who share the passion for justice that fuels the movement toward a truly free society. Service in support of others and keeping the promise of the Civil Rights Movement are at the core of Reston’s holiday weekend.”
This year’s Reston Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration will also include events at Southgate Community Center, North County Government Center and Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation.
The Reston Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration weekend is presented by Reston Community Center in cooperation with the Martin Luther King Jr. Christian Church, the Office of Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn, Reston Community Orchestra, Reston Association, Southgate Community Center and Cornerstones, with the support of other religious and civic organizations, business groups and schools.
For more information, contact RCC Community Events Director Kevin Danaher at 703-390-6166 or at kevin.danaher@fairfaxcounty.gov. To register for programs, visit www.restoncommunitycenter.com or call 703-476-4500.
2020 Reston Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration
Calendar of Events
Saturday, January 18
Community Service Projects
9:00 a.m.
Southgate Community Center
12125 Pinecrest Road, Reston, VA
1:00 p.m.
North County Government Center
1801 Cameron Glen Drive
All ages – Free – Registration required through Reston Association, 703-435-7986 or habrock@reston.org.
Join friends and neighbors in honoring Dr. King’s legacy by serving your community. As Dr. King said, “Everybody can be great … because anybody can serve.” RCC is partnering with Southgate Community Center, Reston Association, Cornerstones and The Closet on community service projects. Indoor projects include making bag lunches for the Embry Rucker Community Shelter, sorting and organizing items from The Closet, and several other projects at Southgate Community Center. There will also be several outdoor projects such as cleaning up the natural areas, pathways and hardscape surrounding Southgate, weather permitting. Volunteer hours conclude around noon.
In the afternoon, there will be a service project at the North County Government Center. RCC is partnering with Cornerstones and the office of Supervisor Walter Alcorn. Volunteers will sort and organize items donated to the Hunter Mill Winter Coat Closet. This project concludes at 3:00 p.m.
Reston Community Orchestra 14th Annual Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
4:00 p.m.
RCC Hunters Woods – Community Room
Free, donations appreciated
Celebrate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with this free concert that has become a meaningful addition to Reston’s annual weekend of activities commemorating this great American’s contributions and achievements. Combining the traditions of African American culture and Western Classical music, the concert pays tribute to Dr. King’s vision of a society free of prejudice and racial divisions, and his belief in the power of music to help create positive change. Featured performers will include students from Al Fatih Academy, the Men’s Chorus of Martin Luther King Jr. Christian Church of Reston and song stylist Beverly Cosham.
Sunday, January 19
Liner Notes: Music of The Movement
2:00 p.m.
RCC Hunters Woods – the CenterStage
$15/Reston/$20 Non-Reston (tickets sold through the CenterStage Box Office)
Exploring music inspired by the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, this show features inspirational songs of change. From the energizing Ray Charles’ What’d I Say, to protest songs like A Change is Gonna Come and spirituals like This Little Light of Mine, the songs that informed the struggle for universal human rights in America remain powerful and relevant.
Liner Notes will also be artists-in-residence at Langston Hughes Middle School and South Lakes High School, where they will revisit the turbulent 1950s and 1960s and examine the intersections with the adversity still prevalent today. Those events are not open to the public.
Voices of Inspiration
4:00 p.m.
Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation
1441 Wiehle Avenue, Reston
All ages – Free
Voices of Inspiration is the 30th Anniversary program honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This event is sponsored by the Martin Luther King Jr. Christian Church and includes many Reston faith communities.
Monday, January 20
Keynote Address by Bakari Sellers followed by Community Lunch
11:00 a.m.
RCC Hunters Woods: the CenterStage and Community Room
$5 Reston/$10 Non-Reston (tickets sold through the CenterStage Box Office)
Bakari Sellers made history when, at just 22 years old, he became the youngest member of the South Carolina state legislature and the youngest African American elected official in the nation. Sellers is widely considered to be a rising and leading voice for his generation.
Especially for Youth
10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
RCC Hunters Woods
6 – 12 Years Old. Free. Registration Required. Reg. #704750-0A
You may register your school-age child (first to sixth grade) to participate in activities at RCC. Children should be registered in advance. Limited onsite registration will be available on the day of the event; however, all forms must be completed in their entirety. Children will rotate through a series of activities including a performance, an age-appropriate video, and arts and crafts. All activities will be based on the history of Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement. Lunch will be provided.
