In honor of what would have been slain civil-rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.'s 82nd birthday, the 26th annual MLK March and Festival kicks off with a march from the University of Arizona campus to Reid Park.
The celebration of King's life begins at 8:30 a.m. with a welcome on the UA Mall. At 9 a.m., marchers will begin walking to the DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center at the park, near South Country Club and East 22nd Street.
The festival, featuring food, entertainment and speakers, will last from 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Titled "The Power of a Dream," the event also will pay tribute to U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and the other victims of the Jan. 8 shooting.
Participants are encouraged to bring signs bearing the names of those involved or "whatever their emotions lead them to," said Clarence Boykins, president of the Tucson Black Chamber of Commerce, the group organizing the event.
