For immediate release | November 16, 2010

ALA to honor Dr. King’s legacy at Midwinter

CHICAGO – Dr. Michael K. Honey, Fred T. and Dorothy G. Haley Endowed Professor of the Humanities and Professor of Labor and Ethnic Studies and American History at the University of Washington, Tacoma, will be the keynote speaker at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Sunrise Celebration during the American Library Association’s (ALA) Midwinter Meeting in San Diego. The Celebration will be held from 6:30-7:30 a.m. Monday, January 10 in Room 2 of the San Diego Convention Center
Dr. Honey is the author of numerous books, including his latest, “All Labor Has Dignity” (Beacon, 2011), a collection of Dr. King’s speeches on labor rights and economic justice from the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement, culminating in the momentous “Mountaintop” speech delivered before his death in 1968. Other titles include the acclaimed “Going Down Jericho Road: The Memphis Strike, Martin Luther King’s Last Campaign” (W.W. Norton & Company, 2007), “Black Workers Remember: An Oral History of Segregation, Unionism, and the Freedom Struggle” (University of California Press, 1999), and “Southern Labor and Black Civil Rights: Organizing Memphis Workers” (University of Illinois Press, 1993). In addition to his writing and teaching, Dr. Honey regularly speaks on various historical issues at campuses and community organizations across the country. Dr. Honey’s participation is made possible through the generous support of Beacon Press and Random House, Inc.
This year’s sunrise celebration will be themed “Everybody Can Be Great…” and will bring together leaders from the association, including ALA President Roberta Stevens and ALA Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels. Featured readings will include selections from the works of Dr. King.
The program is sponsored by the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Task Force of the ALA Social Responsibilities Round Table, the Black Caucus of the American Library Association, and is supported by the ALA Office for Literacy and Outreach Services.
Light refreshments will be served thanks to the generous sponsorship of World Book, Inc.
About World Book, Inc.
World Book sets the standard in publishing accurate, current, and reliable reference and learning materials for children and adults. Based in Chicago, World Book is committed to creating educational products that meet the highest standards of editorial excellence in print and online. This commitment has resulted in a wide range of products including the number-one selling The World Book Encyclopedia and the World Book Web, which is the most comprehensive and authoritative online solution to meet the diverse learning needs of students and includes the World Book Online Reference Center, http://www.worldbookonline.com, World Book Kids, and World Book Advanced. World Book (http://www.worldbook.com) is a Scott Fetzer company, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc.
About the American Library Association
The American Library Association is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 65,000 members. Its mission is to promote the highest quality library and information services and public access to information. For more information on the American Library Association please visit www.ala.org

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John Amundsen