City of Glendale - Unity Day

Glendale Presents the 2012 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Unity Day Luncheon

“Keeping the Dream Alive…Making It a Reality for All!”

The life and ideals of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. will once again be celebrated by the city of Glendale during the 2012 Unity Day Luncheon. Each year in January, Glendale honors Dr. King and his ideals with a luncheon that brings the community together in celebration of King’s work and the ongoing efforts to promote a society that is just, peaceful and understanding. 

11:30 a.m., Friday, January 13, 2012
Glendale Civic Center, 5750 W. Glenn Dr., Glendale
Keynote Speaker: Freedom Rider Jim Zwerg
EMCEE: ABC 15's Susan Casper

About Keynote Speaker Jim Zwerg

Attending Beloit College in Wisconsin, Zwerg witnessed several instances of prejudice against his college roommate and friend who happened to be black. He applied and was accepted to Beloit's exchange program with (predominantly black-enrolled) Fisk University in Tennessee.  According to Zwerg, he did this to fully experience what it was like to be in the minority group. In 1961, a 21-year-old Zwerg was introduced to nonviolence and became involved in the Civil Rights Movement at Fisk University. His participation in the Civil Rights Movement included lunch counter sit-ins, movie theater stand-ins and the Freedom Ride. He was accosted both verbally and physically in Nashville, arrested and jailed in Birmingham, Alabama, and savagely beaten in Montgomery, Alabama.

The story of his role in the Freedom Ride has been featured in numerous articles, books and television documentaries. He has been a guest on Oprah and was featured in the PBS documentary "American Experience: Freedom Riders." Photographs of Zwerg after his beating were published in "Time," "Life" and newspapers around the world. Zwerg, and the other nine students who continued the Freedom Ride, were honored in 1961 by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference as recipients of its prestigious Freedom Award. Zwerg has also received the Church Women United Human Rights Award and The Martin-Springer Institute’s Moral Courage Award.

After graduating from Beloit College in 1962, Zwerg pursued a degree in Theology at Garret Theological Seminary. In 1964 he became a minister in the United Church of Christ. After serving churches in Wisconsin, Jim moved to Tucson in 1970 to become the minister of the Casas Adobes United Church of Christ. He has also worked for IBM, a hospice, an agency serving persons with disabilities and Tucson Metropolitan Ministries.

Now retired, Zwerg and his wife, Carrie, spend the majority of their time at their cabin in rural New Mexico. Occasionally, as for Glendale’s Unity Day, Zwerg is asked to recount the days of his life when he helped to change American history. 

• Click here to view a short video with Jim Zwerg about the Freedom Riders.

Luncheon Reservations

Reserved seats for the 2012 Unity Day Luncheon are $40 per person. Tables of 10 can be reserved for $400. This luncheon is considered one of the state’s premier celebrations of King’s life and ideals. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 623-930-2050.

Promoting Inclusiveness Award Winner 

Randolph Stephen Elias Lumm has been committed to ensuring educational access for everyone in Maricopa County regardless of racial or ethnic background, national origin, religion, economic status or sexual orientation as the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) board president.  On Jan. 14, Lumm will be recognized by the city of Glendale for his dedication to diversity and inclusiveness.

While Lumm’s profession has been in counseling, he has a long history of being an active community member.  Lumm served on the governing board of the Pendergast Elementary School District where he worked to ensure equality and inclusiveness for parents and students in school events and acedemic activities. He has also served as president of the National Caucus of Hispanic School Board Members and the Arizona Hispanic and Native American School Board Forum encouraging members to improve educational institutions at state and national levels, advocating for positive changes and highlighting the contributions of the respective cultures. As chair of the Phoenix Chapter of the Arizona Hispanic Community Forum he organized the group’s participation in the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. marches and extended participation in several rallies and marches advocating for justice for all minorities in the areas of education, economy, immigration reform and employment practices.
City press release (pdf)

Sponsor

Special thanks to our sponsor APS for making this event possible..