Martin Luther King, Jr. Glimpsed Through Toledo Newspapers

Posted: Wednesday, February 13, 2008 by: Rhonda B. Sewell | Category: Education

The Toledo-Lucas County Public Library is celebrating Black History Month with presentations and activities around the Toledo area. Main Library’s tribute exhibit entitled Martin Luther King, Jr. Glimpsed Through Toledo Newspapers is on view in Main’s second floor gallery now through Sunday, February 24.

The exhibit provides a look at the past through local newspaper reproductions from the then Toledo Blade (now titled The Blade), the former Toledo Times (ran under this name from 1900 until purchased by the Toledo Blade in 1929) and the former Bronze Raven (a weekly African American newspaper from 1948-1976). The past articles on display provide insight into Dr. King’s life, including his 1963 arrest, marches he led in Detroit and Washington, D.C., his 1967 appearance at Scott High School in Toledo, his assassination, and more.

By providing not only the details of his fight against oppression, but also the details of the events surrounding the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, the exhibit portrays a vivid picture of the life and death of an American civil rights leader and his fight against injustice.

The Library’s Black History celebrations will continue throughout the month, culminating with Martin Luther King, Jr. impersonator Rudy Barker’s performance at Main Library scheduled from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, February 23. Barker will spread Dr. King’s message of peace, love and equality in a live recreation of the slain leader’s most noted speeches, a question-and-answer session, a mock press conference, and a DVD presentation.

Barker has been performing as Dr. King for more than 20 years, delivering the orator’s speeches and preaching peace and nonviolent conflict resolution.

For more observances, Main Library is scheduled to present the film MLK: A Dream Differed, in its McMaster Center at 7 p.m. on Thursday, February 21. This special showing is presented by the Library, Buckeye-CableSystem ® and tvOne™

Other area library locations will host their own events to celebrate Black History Month throughout February. Presenter Adisa Ababa is scheduled at 7 p.m. tomorrow, Thursday, February 14 at the Reynolds Corners Branch, 4833 Dorr St., telling stories and using puppets to get audience members involved in the performance. A future program featuring Ababa is being planned at the Mott Branch Library, 1085 Dorr St. A complete list of Library and Black History Month events is available at toledolibrary.org under the Programs & Events drop-down menu.

Press Release Contact Name: Rhonda B. Sewell
Press Release Contact Email: [email protected]
Press Release Contact Phone: 419.259.5381
Organization Name: Toledo-Lucas County Public Library
Website or Link: www.toledolibrary.org
Organization Address: Toledo, OH

I have been seeking off and on, over the years, for information about the occasion of Martin Luther King Jr."s speech at Scott High School in 1967. At that time I was City Auditor of the City of Toledo. Mayor John Potter was unable to be present for the event, and he asked me to represent the City and welcome Dr. King to Toledo.

I would like to know whether there are any reports, pictures or other commentary on this historic event, the only time, I believe, that Dr. King visited Toledo. My recollections of the event, now over 40 years ago, are rather hazy. I would like to have some detailed account the event.

Thank you - Arthur S. Johnson, 2520 Aldringham Road, Toledo, OH 43606

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