All are invited to attend the Motherlode Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration on Sunday, Jan. 14 at 2 p.m. at the Sonora High School Auditorium. The program is free and open to all.

The Motherlode Martin Luther King Jr. Committee has been presenting free programs in the community for over 23 years. Each January, to celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., the committee chooses a speaker whose ideals and work embody and emulate the life work of Dr. King. This year, the keynote speaker for this annual celebration is Carmen Perez.

Ms. Perez has been fighting for justice throughout the world for over 20 years. She is the co-founder of Justice League NYC and founder of Justice League CA. In 2010, she became the Executive Director of The Gathering. The Gathering for Justice was founded in 2005 by Harry Belafonte. From its inception, The Gathering provided a safe environment for policy and model exchange, and dialogue between generations of activists, community members, formerly-incarcerated individuals, gang members and academics from all communities and cultures.

Her most recent work is her role as the National Co-Chair of the Women’s March on Washington, which drew over five million people across the globe who marched in resistance of hatred and bigotry. She received the Justice, Peace, and Freedom Award at the 2016 AFL-CIO Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Civil and Human Rights Awards. In 2017 Ms. Perez was named one of Fortune’s Top 50 World Leaders and one of TIME’s most influential people.

Along with Ms. Perez, the celebration will include The Pine Cone Singers featuring Dennis Brown, vocalist Michelle Allison, Student Essay Contest winners, and a free reception after the event.