2 days of events honor
Martin Luther King Jr.
The 16th Martin Luther King Jr. holiday celebration begins Sunday evening with a candlelight ceremony, bell ringing and concert to honor the work of the slain civil rights leader.
At 9 a.m. Monday a parade will begin from Magic Island and go through Waikiki. It will be followed by a unity rally, with food, crafts, entertainment, games and rides for the children at Kapiolani Park from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The celebrations are sponsored by the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Coalition-Hawaii, the City and County of Honolulu and the United Nations Association of Hawaii. The 40th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act by President Lyndon B. Johnson is also being commemorated.
The kickoff candlelight ceremony begins 6:30 p.m. Sunday on the Honolulu Hale Civic Center grounds at Beretania and Lauhala streets.
Selections from Duke Ellington's Sacred Concert will be played by the Royal Hawaiian Band, followed by the Central Union Church youth choir and the candle-lighting ceremony, led by the Rev. Charlene Zuill, of the Wesley Foundation, United Methodist Campus Ministry at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
Messages will be delivered by representatives from Faith Traditions, and Jerry B. Wilson & the Ministry of Fire. More music and the ringing of the Nagasaki Peace Bell will round out the evening event.
The parade Monday morning will be led by grand marshal Herman Frazier, UH director of athletics, and include 80 units.
The unity rally will be emceed by Aphonso Braggs and Micki Fine. Scheduled entertainers include Azure McCall, Bobby Thursby's Night Train Blues Band, Bootsie, Chris Vandercook & Company, Fred Walker, Franchize Rappers, J. Ghotti, Jerry Wilson & Group, Kimberly Bradford, Kuumba West African Dance & Drums, Leilehua Step Club, SmokeTrain & Company, Shirley Sypert's Keiki's Vocal Dance Expressions, Rubina Collier, City of Refuge Gospel Choir, Hickam Gospel Choir and Trinity Gospel Choir.