The 40th annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., birthday celebration will be held on Monday, January 19, 2026, at 9 a.m. in the auditorium of the Oxnard Performing Arts Center, 800 Hobson Way. This year’s theme is “A Living Legacy: Cultivating Compassion and Justice in Ventura County.”
The keynote speaker will be Professor Gaye Theresa Johnson, a prominent historian and professor, who has made significant contributions to the study of freedom struggles and social movements, with a focus on Black Studies and Chicana/Chicano cultural expression. She is currently a professor at UC Santa Barbara.
Professor Johnson is a historian of freedom struggles and cultural politics, and a facilitator and trainer in healing justice for movement collectives across the nation. She was a professor at UC Santa Barbara from 2005 to 2015 and then spent ten years in the Department of Chicana/Chicano and Central American Studies at UCLA and as Associate Director of the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies. In July 2025, she returned to UCSB where she is now Director of the Blum Center of Poverty, Inequality, and democracy and a professor of Black Studies and Chicana/Chicano Studies.
She is the author of three books: Futures of Black Radicalism; Spaces of Conflict, Sounds of Solidarity; and just out in December 2025, Rings of Dissent: Boxing and Performances of Rebellion, which was co-edited with sports scholars Rodolfo Mondargon and David Leonard. She has been a fellow at the Stanford Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity, the African Leadership Academy in Johannesburg, South Africa, and has received numerous awards for her research and teaching.
For the MLK Day celebration, the morning will begin with a Freedom March from Plaza Park at Fifth and “C” Streets. Community members, elected officials and spiritual leaders will assemble at the park for prayer at 8 a.m.; the march will begin at 8:15 a.m. and proceed to the Oxnard Performing Arts Center. Transportation is available to Plaza Park from the Performing Arts Center parking lot for the march only (provided by City Corps).
The program will begin at 9 a.m. and will feature youth speakers, scripture readings, and gospel musical selections by the MLK Celebration Choir, which will be directed by Mrs. Tamara Thomas. Community singers and choir members are welcome, including young adults, choir directors, and musicians. Rehearsal dates: Saturday, December 27, 2025 at 4 p.m.; Saturday, January 3, 2026 at 4 p.m.; Saturday, January 10, 2026 at 4 p.m.; and Saturday, January 17, 2026 at 4 p.m. All rehearsals will be at Bethel A.M.E. Church, 855 South F Street, Oxnard. For questions or information: Tamara@maneelementz.com or (801) 624-6434.
Tickets for the program are $10 and are available from any member of the MLK, Jr., Committee. Tickets are also available online at mlkevent.com. The committee can be found on social media (Facebook and Instagram) as MLKventura.
Exhibits, refreshments, and vendor booths will be set up in the Ventura Room of the Performing Arts Center. For information or vendor booth applications, please call Ron Robinson (805) 827-7032 or roeuro@live.com.
From its inception in 1986, the MLK observance program has attempted to spotlight the positive achievements and accomplishments of the youth of our community. In previous years, the Monday program has drawn approximately 600 people from throughout Ventura County, Santa Barbara, and surrounding areas. It was necessary to cancel the program only once, on January 17, 1994, due to an earthquake. As in previous years, this year’s program promises to be an inspirational, informative, and enjoyable experience; and we invite everyone to be a part of the activities and celebration of Rev. Dr. King’s life and legacy.
