The skanner., January 16, 2013, Page 32, Image 32

H O N O R I N G D R . M A RT I N L U T H E R K I N G , J R .
Lending
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dictions, the cost of borrowing on credit cards has not
increased since the CARD Act passed; transparency has
greatly increased and the use of hidden fees has gone down.
The next two State of Lending reports will be released in
early 2013. The next release will cover payday loans and
other financial products that trap people in long-term debt
while portraying themselves as short-term solutions.
The third and final release in the series will examine abu-
sive practices in debt collection and servicing, and conclude
with a chapter documenting how lending abuses often tar-
get the same households and have a cumulative—and par-
ticularly disastrous—impact on low-income households
and communities of color.
Former Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Chair
Sheila Bair authored State of Lending’s foreword, noting
that predatory lending harms the entire U.S. economy. She
warns, “If abusive lending practices are not reformed, we
again will all pay dearly.”
King Center’s 2013 MLK Holiday
Observance Kicks Off 50th
Anniversary of “I Have A Dream”
Speech
T
he King Center has announced plans for the 2013
observance of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr., beginning a year-long celebration of the 50th
anniversary of Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
“Remember! Celebrate! Act! King’s Dream for Our
World,” is the theme for the birthday commemoration pro-
gram which begins Friday, Jan. 11, and continues through
the MLK holiday on Jan. 21. All events, except the Annual
Salute to Greatness Awards Dinner, are free of charge.
“We will present an inspiring, educational and multi-
faceted program of events commemorating the 84th
anniversary of the birthday of my father, Martin Luther
King, Jr.,” said King Center CEO, Elder Bernice A. King,
in announcing the 10-day observance.
“The King Center’s challenge to people of all nations is
to begin a new era of nonviolent conflict reconciliation
bringing people together across racial, religious, political
and cultural divisions in keeping with Dr. King’s vision of
the essential unity of all people,” she said.
“We want to ignite a flame of Freedom in the hearts of
people everywhere that long for peace, prosperity, justice,
and yes, even brotherhood and sisterhood,” she added.
A highlight of the annual program, the Salute to Greatness
Awards Dinner will embrace the spirit of Dr. King’s dream
by honoring Bangladeshi Economist Muhammad Yunus,
“father of micro-credit,” founder of the Gameen Bank and
recipient of the 2006 Nobel Prize for Peace.
The Salute to Greatness Awards Dinner will also honor
Aflac, Inc., with Chairman/CEO Daniel Amos accepting the
award, in recognition of Aflac’s extraordinary efforts to
promote education, youth opportunities and economic
development in diverse communities.
The MLK birthday observance Annual Commemorative
Service, a major event during the King Week celebration
scheduled for Monday, Jan. 21, will feature keynote speak-
er the Reverend Samuel Rodriguez, President of the
National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference.
Reverend Rodriguez’s address will mark the first time a
Latino leader serves as the keynote speaker for the
Commemorative Service, which is the nation’s ‘flagship’
ecumenical religious observance on the MLK holiday.
The program, which will be held in Ebenezer Baptist
Church Horizon Sanctuary, will also include presentations
from people of every race and diverse faiths.
The 2013 MLK Observance will provide a strong empha-
sis on youth leadership development and nonviolence edu-
cation, through several events, including The King Youth
Expo and Showcase, Jan. 12, 12:00 noon till 4:00 p.m.,
which will showcase young leaders who are demonstrating
Dr. King’s spirit, philosophy and teachings in their respec-
tive schools, homes, communities and places of worship
and provide peer to peer training for other youth. The Expo
will also feature an on-site “Tweet Suite,” where young
people can generate ideas for youth violence prevention and
discuss strategies for creating the ‘beloved Community’ of
Dr. King’s Dream.
For more information about the MLK birthday obser-
vance program and the year-long commemoration of Dr.
King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, please contact 404-526-
8900 or visit www.thekingcenter.org
Page 16 The Portland and Seattle Skanner Martin Luther King Special Edition January 16, 2013