The start of a new chapter for Long Beach's MLK Center

The Long Beach Martin Luther King Center, Inc. is hosting an event to relaunch its programs and strengthen its ties with the community.

The MLK Center created “A New Day for the MLK” Fundraiser and Brunch, in partnership with the Long Beach Firefighters, DC9 Members, and the City of Long Beach. The event will be hosted at the center, 615 Riverside Boulevard, on Saturday, Aug. 17, from 12 to 4 p.m.

The event invites community members and local organizations to support the center’s mission.

“The MLK has been going through a lot of struggles, financial struggles, changes in leadership, we discussed as a board how we can sort of revitalize the MLK center and sort of just take it through this total transformation,” Sheena Curry, Board Chair for the MLK Center, said.

The MLK Center is a non-governmental, community-based organization focused on improving Long Beach residents' health, welfare, and educational opportunities, particularly those in the North Park area.

The center offers a variety of programs, including counseling, mentoring, early childhood development, cultural enrichment, youth empowerment, career development opportunities, and hands-on training in science, technology, engineering, and math. These programs are designed to address the social and economic challenges faced by the community, with a specific focus on youth and young adults.

The event will feature a community brunch, with a $25 donation per attendee. Proceeds from the event will go toward supporting the MLK Center’s programs and initiatives.

“We are trying to bring back that excitement that was once there, and the very rich programming that came out of the MLK center.” Curry said. “We're looking at all aspects of the organization, from the programming, from the leadership, from the relationships that we have with the community, as well as our local elected officials.”

In addition to the brunch, the event will include refreshing the center’s lobby with a new coat of paint, symbolizing the relaunch of the center’s activities.

Ms. Jackey Odom, the first chairwoman of the MLK Center, will be honored and Long Beach Firefighter and MLK Board Member Max Almonte will be recognized at the event for their key roles in the center’s development and for their contributions.

“She's (Odom) always been involved for so many years, decades, and we just thought she deserved that recognition,” Curry said. “She's still, to this very day, involved in trying to towards relationships with our school boards and various community leaders and trying to bring new programs to the MLK center. So we want to recognize her efforts for all of those years. I don't think the center would be what it is without her hard work.”

“And for Max, you know, he is a valued member of the community, a valued board member, and very committed to the work,” she continued. “As a person of color, we also thought that it would be good to kind of hold him up, he should be something that every person of color in our community should aspire to be both in terms of his service as well as his professional achievements.”

For more information about the event and the MLK Center’s programs, visit the organization’s website at LBMLK.ORG.