The 41st Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Takes Place January 16 - 19

Bonnie Boswell, an award-winning producer, reporter, and talk show host will be the keynote speaker for Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s celebration on Monday, January 19.

All community members are invited to attend the special events beginning with the MLK Freedom Celebration and Breakfast at 7:30 a.m. on Friday, January 16, sponsored by the Santa Monica Area Interfaith Council at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church, Ocean Park Blvd. and 14th Street.

On Saturday, January 17, at 3 p.m. in Barnum Hall on Santa Monica High School campus, the Santa Monica Symphony Orchestra will present its annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. concert.

The theme of the 2026 program is “Injustice Anywhere is a Threat to Justice Everywhere.” Be inspired by keynote speaker Bonnie Boswell on Monday, January 19 at 9 a.m. at the John Adams Middle School Performing Arts Center, 2425 16th St. After Bonnie’s program, go over to the Community Involvement Fair in the Arts Center to meet members of many nonprofit organzations. The Fair starts at 12:30 p.m.

This impressive free celebration is presented by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Westside Coalition and sponsored by the City of Santa Monica, Santa Monica College Associates, Santa Monica College, Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, SGI-USA, Rand Corporation, Santa Monica Bay Area Human Relations Council as well as a variety of other organizations and individuals. The celebration will be live-streamed through the website.

Also for more information, visit www.mlkjrwestside.org; Facebook: mlkwestsideorg; and email: mlkjrwestsidecoalition@gmail.com.

Bonnie Boswell is an Emmy Award-winning producer, reporter, and talk show host. She currently serves as executive producer and reporter for Bonnie Boswell Reports on PBS. Her PBS projects include the 2024 Emmy-winning Saving Moms, a documentary on maternal health, and A Conversation with Pastor James Lawson and Attorney Bryan Stevenson. She also produced The Powerbroker: Whitney Young’s Fight for Civil Rights, about her uncle, which First Lady Michelle Obama presented at the White House.

At NBC-Los Angeles, Bonnie was a community reporter and produced Seeds of Peace, a Golden Mike Award–winning documentary. She holds degrees from Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.