President Obama, First Family Will Mark MLK Day With Community Service And Concert

Top Administration officials mark day, too; Vilsack speaks on USDA civil rights efforts and Pigford II settlement...
UPDATE: CLICK HERE for a post about the First Family's 2012 service project
President Obama, his Cabinet Secretaries and top Administration officials will mark the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service and the legacy of Dr. King in Washington, DC, and around the US on Monday. At 9:50 AM, the President and the First Family will participate in a community service project in the Washington, DC area, according to the White House. It is an annual tradition: For their 2011 service project, the First Family painted smiling vegetables on the cafeteria walls of Stuart Hobson Middle School in Northeast DC. MLK Day fell on First Lady Obama's birthday last year; she turns 48 tomorrow, Tuesday, Jan. 17th. (Above: The President in action in 2011)

In the evening, the President and Mrs. Obama will attend the Let Freedom Ring Celebration at the Kennedy Center at 6:00 PM. The concert features Grammy Award–winning vocalist Bobby McFerrin and includes the Let Freedom Ring Choir, led by Rev. Nolan Williams.

Meantime, on Monday Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will be in Chicago, Illinois, to speak to Rainbow PUSH to "highlight USDA advancements on Civil Rights and the Obama administration's settlement of the Pigford lawsuit," according to the White House. The $1.5 billion settlement for Pigford II; the longstanding racial bias suit brought by African American farmers against USDA was certified by a federal judge last October, after President Obama signed into law the Claims Resolution Act of 2010, on Dec. 8, 2010. In 2011, USDA released a report on its progress with civil rights issues; download the full report here [PDF] and the summary here [PDF].

From the White House:

Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden will travel to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to participate in the 17th annual Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service, the largest Martin Luther King Jr. Day event in the nation. At 9:00 AM, the Vice President will deliver remarks at Girard College in North Philadelphia. Following the remarks program, the Vice President and Dr. Biden will participate in a service project onsite at Girard College.

Justice: On Monday, Attorney General Eric Holder will speak at the NAACP's Martin Luther King Day event in Columbia, SC. On January 30, he will attend the Department of Justice's 2012 Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Program.

Energy: Secretary Steven Chu will host an event at the Department of Energy to commemorate life and legacy of Dr. King. Secretary Chu will be joined by C.T. Vivian, Vice President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and Lynn Cothern, former aide to Coretta Scott King.

Commerce: Secretary John Bryson will travel to Los Angeles to participate in a community service event with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. The Secretary will also tour a minority-owned small business.

Labor: Secretary Hilda Solis will deliver remarks at "At the River I Stand," the AFL-CIO's Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Observance dinner in Detroit, MI.

Veterans Affairs: Secretary Eric Shinseki will volunteer at So Others Might Eat in Washington, D.C., serving food to the homeless for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Education: Secretary Arne Duncan will deliver the keynote address for the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Prayer Breakfast at the historic Shiloh Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. On January 16, Secretary Duncan and his family will join the City Year service day at Dunbar High School.

Defense: Secretary Leon Panetta will participate in the annual commemoration of MLK Day at the Pentagon.

EPA: Administrator Lisa Jackson is scheduled to give remarks at the Martin Luther King, Jr., Day Prayer Breakfast hosted by the National Action Network in Washington, D.C.

USUN: Ambassador Susan Rice will participate in a service event to benefit Kenilworth Elementary in Washington, D.C.

NASA: Administrator Charles Bolden will speak at 44th Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Service at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia.

USAID: Administrator Rajiv Shah will participate in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library's 25th annual "We Feed Our People" event in Washington, D.C.

Transportation: Deputy Secretary Porcari will commemorate the Martin Luther King, Jr., Day at the Tyler Elementary School in Washington, D.C. Volunteers will contribute to the beautification of the school by painting slogans, murals, math equations to help lead the MLK reflection activity.

*Photo by Pete Souza/White House