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Dr. Adena Loston, president of St. Philip's College in Texas and a former Santa Monica College administrator, will be the keynote speaker at the celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday Monday, Jan. 18, 2010.

In conjunction with the celebration, a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Interfaith Breakfast will be held Friday, Jan. 15, and the Santa Monica Symphony Orchestra will hold its 4th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Concert Sunday, Jan. 17.

The events are:

* Friday, Jan. 15, from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Interfaith Prayer Breakfast, featuring speaker The Rev. Louis Chase, minister of the Hamilton United Methodist Church of Los Angeles. Calvary Baptist Church, 1502 20th St., Santa Monica. (Parking at St. Anne's across the street). The suggested donation is $25 per person or $200 for a table of 10.

* Sunday, Jan. 18 at 3:30 p.m.: 4th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Concert, featuring the Santa Monica Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Allen Robert Gross, and featuring tuba player soloist Christopher Miller, performing pieces by Mussorgsky, Stravinski, Williams and Márquez. SGI-USA Auditorium, 525 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica. Free. Call (310) 395-6330.

* Monday, Jan. 18 at 9 a.m.: 25th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration, a multiethnic interfaith program that includes inspirational readings, and presentations of scholarships. SGI-USA Auditorium, 525 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica. Free. The celebration is followed by a Community Involvement Fair, from 11 a.m. to noon at 606 Wilshire Blvd. Free parking is available on 7th Street, behind the 7-11 store on Wilshire Boulevard.

Loston is the 14th president of St. Philip's College, the nation's only Historically Black College and Hispanic Serving Institution. She previously served as the Director of Education and Chief Education Officer for NASA, and has been engaged in higher education in El Paso, Houston, Georgia, Arkansas and SMC over a 35-year career. Loston was the recipient of the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal and the 2008 W.E.B DuBois Higher Education Award.

The annual celebration on the official King holiday has become one of the largest and most diverse celebrations of its kind in Southern California. The theme is "Keeping His Dream Alive."

It is coordinated by The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther Kng. Jr. Westside Coalition in cooperation with the Westside Interfaith Coalition and the Santa Monica Symphony Orchestra. It is co-sponsored by Santa Monica College, Santa Monica College Associates, the City of Santa Monica, City TV-Santa Monica, RAND Corp., and SGI-USA.

For more information, call (310) 628-9040 or (310) 434-4303 or email shawnfatemi@hotmail.com.