MLK Day event looks at local civil rights activists | Entertainment/Life

The New Orleans Public Library will honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and legacy on Jan. 15 as the annual Remember, Celebrate, Act MLK Day Celebration looks at civil rights and social justice in New Orleans through a self-guided tour of the traveling exhibit “The Trail They Blazed,” curated by The Historic New Orleans Collection.

“The Trail They Blazed” highlights the pivotal contributions of New Orleans civil rights activists to the national struggle for equal rights. The day will also feature a talk highlighting the lasting legacy of these local trailblazers.

The event takes place from 17.30 to 19.30 in REACH Center, 2022 St. Bernard Ave., in Building C of the Corpus Christi-Epiphany Community Resource Center. It is sponsored by the Friends of the New Orleans Public Library.

AUTHOR’S SPEECH: The best-selling author TJ Klune will visit the library via Zoom on January 15 at 6 p.m. to discuss his series, “Cerulean Chronicles,” including his newest installment, “Somewhere Beyond the Sea.”

The first in the series, “The House in the Cerulean Sea”, is an enchanting love story about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place. “Somewhere Beyond the Sea” is Klune’s sequel to the beloved story.

Visit nolalibrary.co/tj-klune to register and submit questions to the author.

GARDEN WORKSHOP: Gardeners of all skill levels are invited to the Latter Memorial Library, 5120 St Charles Ave., on Jan. 18 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. to learn about fig tree care and propagation.

Barcelo Garden educators will lead this hands-on workshop, which will cover how to start your own fig tree from an existing tree and how to properly care for your tree once established.

Walk-ins are welcome as long as space allows, but those who sign up in advance will get a fig tree carving to take home. Visit events.nolalibrary.org to register.

MUSIC SUBSIDIES: The library is partnering with the Mayor’s Office of the Nightlife Economy and the Ella Project, which provides pro bono legal, arts and cultural community advocacy, to present a series on funding and grants for local music projects.

Music Census Sessions will take place at library locations across the city, including one from 2 to 4 p.m., Jan. 22 at the Algiers Regional Library, 3014 Holiday Drive. Participants will receive practical advice on securing funding through grants, crowdfunding and financial support programs. Special emphasis will be placed on navigating applications for local and national grants.

Kia Robinson Hartfield, director of programs, marketing and communications for the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation, and Gene Meneray, co-founder of the Ella Project, will be this session’s featured speakers.

Space is limited; visit nolalibrary.co/music-census to register.