Relative Of Martin Luther King Jr. To Speak At Lorain Event

ELYRIA, OH — For the second time in less than a year, the Lorain County Urban League is hosting a Unity Event to bring together diverse members of the community. Speakers will discuss race and equality in 2017 and bring inspiration to attendees, an event coordinator told Patch.

Rev. Joel King Jr., first cousin of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., will be interviewed at the event. He will discuss inclusion and diversity. There will also be a performance by Distinguished Gentlemen of the Spoken Word, and an examination of contemporary friendship with twisted historical roots.

The event will be held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Stocker Arts Center, 1005 N Abbe Rd, Elyria, at Lorain County Community College.

The event, which will be held Sept. 17 , is free and open to all. However, the event is ticketed because seating is limited. Free tickets can be picked up at:

• Oberlin Public Library, at the Information Desk, 65 S. Main St.
• Lorain Public Library, 351 W 6th St, Lorain
• El Centro, 2800 Pearl Ave. and the
• Lorain County Urban League offices, 200 Middle Ave. Suite 200, Elyria.

Each facility has about 25 tickets to give away, Sharon Pearson, community outreach manager for the Lorain County Urban League, told Patch.

During last year's event, held in December, Dr. King's daughter, Bernice King, was the keynote speaker.

"In light of the political climate that we’re going through, we decided to hold another one. We planned this event right before everything happened in Charlottesville," Pearson said. "This seems to be very important. We want to have a group of diverse people coming together."

Image via Public Domain