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La Verne observes Martin Luther King Jr. Day with prayers and calls to keep the dream alive
Summary
City of La Verne held a Martin Luther King Jr. Day program at the La Verne Senior Center featuring Mayor Jason Cole, Pastor Joe Randall and Rutherford County Commissioner Hope Oliver, who framed the holiday around prayer, civil-rights history and the theme of hope.
La Verne — The City of La Verne marked Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 20 with a program at the La Verne Senior Center that included a prayer and reflections on Dr. King’s legacy and a sustained personal appeal to public hope.
Mayor Jason Cole opened the program, welcoming attendees to the city’s observance. "My name is Jason Cole. I'm the mayor for the city of La Verne. We want to welcome you to our Martin Luther King Junior Day celebration," Cole said.
Pastor Joe Randall of Mountview Missionary Baptist Church of Smyrna led an opening prayer and reflected on Dr. King's nonviolent activism and the ongoing struggle for equality. "We pray that each of us would find it within ourselves to keep the dream alive," Randall said, urging attendees to honor King’s work through peaceful action.
Rutherford County Commissioner Hope Oliver (District 1) delivered a personal address that connected family history, faith and civic service to the holiday’s themes. Oliver recounted family stories and community supports that shaped her and repeatedly returned to the word "hope." "There's always hope," she said, asking listeners to "be the hope that heals this world."
Oliver referenced civic and civil-rights leaders and organizations while placing her remarks in a religious frame: she cited Isaiah and Psalms and named local and national figures — including John Lewis, Rosa Parks and others — as part of a lineage of activism she described as sustaining her public service. She also thanked local organizers and staff, including Kathy Melendy of Parks and Recreation, for arranging the event.
Organizers concluded the program with a final exhortation to carry forward the "redemptive power of love," and attendees were invited to a reception with cake in the lobby. The program combined prayer, historical reflection and personal testimony without any formal policy actions or votes.
The event brought together local officials, faith leaders and community members for roughly 26 minutes of remarks and readings that emphasized remembrance and civic responsibility.
