King County to mark 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech
Published 7:37 am Wednesday, August 28, 2013
King County will pay tribute to its namesake, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and observe the 50th anniversary of Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech with a ceremony at 10 a.m. today at the King County Courthouse, 516 Third Ave. in Seattle. The Courthouse rotunda features artwork reflecting the scene on in 1963, as King made his historic address in front of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington, D.C.
Speakers for the event will include King County Executive Dow Constantine, King County Council Chair Larry Gossett, Former King County Councilmember Bruce Laing, who was part of the effort to re-designate King County for Dr. King, Former King County Councilmember Dwight Pelz, who witnessed Dr. King’s speech in 1963 and Reverand Dr. Samuel McKinney, pastor emeritus at Seattle’s Mount Zion Baptist Church, a close friend of King who attended the March on Washington.
The event will be emceed by Vivian Phillips, the director of marketing and communications for the Seattle Theatre Group. A longtime King County resident, Phillips was a member of the team at Tony Gable Design that developed the current King County logo, reflecting the image of King.
Special guests at the celebration will include: Linda Beaumont, who created the March on Washington artwork in the Courthouse and Tony Gable, who led the design team that developed the county’s logo featuring King.
