ALOHA!
Our 2012 Parade Theme
“OUR LIVES BEGIN TO END THE DAY WE BECOME SILENT ABOUT THE THINGS THAT MATTER”
~ Martin Luther King Jr. ~
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 – The 2011 Parade on Monday, January 17, 2011, was a great success; larger than ever and with a joyous “vibe”! We will be posting the many media stories within the next few days. You can view 200 parade photos Here and the many rally photos Here. The media and the public can use these without charge but please credit “Scott Foster & Associates” as the photographer. Should you want larger photos for print, contact us with the photo numbers as displayed on line and we will send you the original photo file. Also note, our 2011 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Souvenir book and several of the previous books can be downloaded Here. Mahalo to everyone for again making “The People’s Parade” a resounding success. See you in 2012!
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January 17, 2011
Martin Luther King Jr. showed the way toward building a community of respect
By Brien Hallett
The recent political murders and assassination attempt in Tucson, Ariz., have changed this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. holiday radically and tragically. Normally, we celebrate the Rev. King’s life.
We celebrate his patriotism in defending the words of the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,” and transforming them into a new and more solid American reality.
We celebrate his audacity in dreaming “that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
Or, we celebrate his role in redeeming — 100 long years late, it must be said — Abraham Lincoln’s emancipation of the slaves, so that today “the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.”
Normally, we celebrate this and much more of the Rev. King’s life. But this year, our joyous celebration of his life is overshadowed by the tragic specter of his death. This year, we are forced to recall the shock, the emptiness, and the anxiety of his assassination on April 4, 1968.
Memphis, Tenn., may be a thousand miles from Tucson, Ariz., and four decades distant in time — but the charged rhetoric, the bitter accusations and the intemperate demonizing of those who disagree with us is the same, then and now.
Once again, the simple homespun courtesy that our parents taught us, the restrained civility that our teaches and pastors tried to instill in us, have been drowned in a flood tide of the ridicule and sarcasm from radio and television personalities hired by media moguls more interested in ratings than the common good.
Once again, the essential ingredient of democratic politics, civil and respectful dialogue, has been betrayed by overwrought politicians. Their rhetoric is colorful and catchy. The media love it, but this riling of emotions solves none of the nation’s problems. Instead, it leads inevitably to assassinations, as the history of 1968, if not 2011, demonstrates.
Instead of raising our voices to an ever-higher fever pitch of anger, we need now more than ever before to recall the “radically moderate,” always thoughtful, ever-uplifting speech of Martin Luther King Jr. We need to emulate his always respectful manner and words.
In particular, we need to recall that the Rev. King’s ultimate objective was not civil rights for all Americans. This was only a way station. His ultimate objective was the Beloved Community.
Although the term originated with the 19th-century Social Gospel, neither “community” nor “beloved” is a religious concept. Both are thoroughly secular. When the two words are put together, a Beloved Community is a community in which you respect me because I respect you. What I say is always civil and truthful. What I do is always helpful and honest.
If you reciprocate my respect for you, we will be able to act together and live together in a cooperative and productive community.
If you do not reciprocate my respect for you, then we will not be able to act together and will, instead, be forced to exist in an antagonistic and counterproductive aggregation of spiteful groups.
Thus, the overarching and ultimate goal and the choice that the Rev. King always held out to us: Will we live in a community of mutual respect? Or will we live in an aggregation of mutual disrespect?
Martin Luther King Jr. fought and died to build a community of mutual respect. Our fight, the murders and assassination attempt in Tucson tell us, is the same.
2012 MEDIA RELEASE
ALOHA AND WELCOME! The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Coalition-Hawai`i (MLK) is again honored to extend our invitation to the community and its many organizations and individuals to participate in the 24th Annual MLK Celebration Parade & Rally on Monday, January 16, 2012. All are invited to participate in the numerous other related events near this date. Our 2012 theme is another of Dr King’s profound statement: “”OUR LIVES BEGIN TO END THE DAY WE BECOME SILENT ABOUT THE THINGS THAT MATTER” The 24th Annual parade begins at Magic Island with the formation of organizations at 7:30 a.m. The parade moves out at 9:00 a.m. and travels on Kalakaua Avenue thru Waikiki to Kapiolani Park and the Unity Celebration, with its food, community booths and camaraderie.
SCHEDULE OF 2012 MLK EVENTS
FRIDAY, JANUARY 13, 2012; 12 Noon: The Royal Hawaiian Band (RHB) Concert at Iolani Palace is dedicated to Queen Liliuokalani and Dr. King. The RHB under the direction of Bandmaster Michael Nakasone, was founded in 1836 by King Kamehameha III and is one of the last living links to Hawaii’s monarchy. Now an agency of the City & County of Honolulu, the RHB is the only full-time municipal band in the United States.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 14, 2012. The Honolulu Hawaii Branch NAACP would like for you to join them at the 9th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Awards Gala. The 2012 theme is “Educated, Empowered, and Engaged.” This year’s gala is very special as they are celebrating the 52nd Anniversary of our branch. All proceeds benefit the NAACP. The celebration will be held in the grand ballroom of the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Resort and Spa, Honolulu, Hawaii. The evening will begin with a cocktail reception and silent auction kickoff at 6:30 followed by dinner at 7:00 and awards presentation at 7:45. In addition to scholarship awards, outstanding community leaders are also recognized. The NAACP Distinguished Service Award for Lifetime Achievement will be presented to Ernest J. Harris, PhD, research entomologist. The NAACP Community Partnership Award will be presented to Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. for and the Youth Citizenship Award will be presented to Torey Bowman. Our keynote speaker is the District Director for the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission, Mr. Olophius Perry, Los Angeles, CA.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 15, 2012; 5:30 pm: Annual Candlelight & Bell Ringing Ceremony at Honolulu’s Nagasaki Peace Bell on the grounds of Honolulu Hale; Lauhala and Beretania Streets We celebrate this solemn event on Dr. King’s actual birthday (January 15, 1929-April 4, 1968). Dr. King said, “There will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with a new meaning, “My country, ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.” We will again make a resounding noise with our bell ringing to proclaim the fundamental importance of freedom in our own lives, in our island, our nation, and our world. And we will ring out to call attention to the insensitivity, injustice, and inequality that curtails freedom and happiness throughout society. While our actions are symbolic, they have tremendous potential. We invite you to join in this wonderful work beginning today. Make freedom ring!
MONDAY, JANUARY 16, 2012; 9 am: The 24th Annual Parade will travel down Kalakaua Avenue from Magic Island and culminates with a post-parade Unity Rally at Kapiolani Park. After the parade, the bandstand comes alive all day with stellar music and entertainment. There wil be great local & ethnic foods, a children’s playground, community booths and other vendors. Hawaii’s parade is truly “the people’s parade”. In 2011, over 50 units and some 1000 people marched or rode in the parade, many thousands watched from the sidewalks and buildings in Waikiki and an estimated 3000 attended the 2010 post-parade celebration.
The MLK Coalition also co-sponsor the International Peace Poem Project with local winners announced in April of 2012 by each of the island Mayors. We invite you to view the web-site @ to learn how you can participate in this worldwide affirmation of the sanctity of the human spirit.
Our annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Souvenir book is free and available to the public during the various events. Mahalo to the City & County of Honolulu for their kind assistance and kokua. Previous books can be read and downloaded Here.
PLEASE MAIL CONTRIBUTIONS TO SUPPORT OUR EVENTS TO:
MLK-Hawai`i
590 Farrington Highway #210
P.O. 163, Kapolei, Hawai`ii 96707
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ABOUT OUR 2012 PARADE AND RELATED EVENTS
By January of 2011, it was no news to anyone that our world had changed dramatically since MLK Day in 2008. Many of us were already frightened about our jobs, savings, homes and retirement — indeed 
frightened about our very futures. In researching a theme for the 2010 events, we revisited the speech delivered by Dr. King on April 4th, 1967, at a meeting of Clergy and Laity Concerned at the Riverside Church in New York City; Beyond Vietnam — A Time to Break Silence and the following statement by Dr. King seemed to resonate with us as the 2009 theme:
If we do not act, we shall surely be dragged down the long, dark, and shameful corridors of time reserved for those who possess power without compassion, might without morality, and strength without sight. The entire speech is Here
With this mandate to act, the MLK Coalition-Hawai`i was again honored to extend its invitation to the community and its many organizations and individuals to participate in the 21st Annual MLK Parade & Celebration which was held on the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Holiday on Monday, January 19, 2009. And the community responded. The 2009 event was by-far the largest in our 21-year history!
Our parade began at Magic Island and moved thru Waikiki to Kapiolani Park and the Unity Celebration, with its exciting program of live music and dance, ethnic & local food, community organization booths — and much camaraderie. We commend the many who helped make our 2009 parade & rally events the great success they indeed were. View 2009 photos Here.
The Hawai`i MLK Day parade is truly “the people’s parade”. We have no staff and only a small group of volunteers working with little budget and our growth and achievements through the years are entirely because of the combined volunteer support of our local community and its rainbow of organizations and individuals. A sincere mahalo to you! In 2009, over 50 units and some 2000 people marched or rode in the parade, many thousands watched from the sidewalks and buildings in Waikiki, and an estimated 3000 attended the 2008 post-parade Rally.
Contributions, no matter how small to support our events are appreciated and may be mailed to:
MLK-Hawai`i
590 Farrington Highway #210
P.O. 163
Kapolei, Hawai`i 96707