King County and its employees invite the public to join the celebration honoring the life of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and his vision of an America of opportunity for all. Seattle’s historic 5th Avenue Theatre will host this free event, which begins at Noon.

Dr. Camara Phyllis Jones will be the keynote speaker at this special event. Backed by her research, Dr. Jones uses powerful allegories to promote discussion and understanding of the difficult topic of the impact of race on our national health and well-being. She is a passionate advocate for equity and justice in our society and appears in the video “Unnatural Causes,” a documentary exploring the racial and socioeconomic disparities in health and wellness.

Young people from throughout King County have been selected to receive the 2011 Essay Award on the celebration theme, “We are the ones we have been waiting for.” The youth awards will be presented at the celebration.

The celebration will also include interpretations of this year’s theme by local performance poets and musicians coordinated by the multi-talented spoken word performer and producer Storme Webber.

For more information, please contact Bailey de Iongh at the Office of Civil Rights, 206-296-7652.

The celebration is noon to 1 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 13 at 5th Avenue Theatre, 1308 5th Ave., Seattle.