A community program to celebrate the life of Martin Luther King Jr. will be held Monday, Jan. 17, Martin Luther King Day, at the Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC), 318 N. Albany St., from noon to 5 p.m. The program is free and open to all.

The annual celebration includes a luncheon, a keynote speech, workshops and performances by area choirs and the Latin Tops. This year's keynote speaker is Cal Walker, associate director of the Learning Strategies Center at Cornell University. Two hours of workshops will follow the luncheon, and they will include beadmaking, an elders speak-out, a youth speak-out, life-sized self-portraits, shadow puppets and a presentation and discussion of the video White Power: A Portrait of Hate. The program will conclude with dessert and choir performances. Day care will be provided free of charge for children 18 months to 5 years old, from 2 to 4 p.m.

The event has been organized by the Cornell Public Service Center, GIAC, the Tompkins County Human Rights Commission, the Center for Religion, Ethics and Social Policy at Cornell, Cornell's Campus Life division, the Multicultural Resource Center and the MLK Committee. It is co-sponsored by the Community Arts Partnership of Tompkins County and the city of Ithaca.

After the success of last year's event, planners say they are expecting another large turnout and a day of exciting activities and discussion. For more information, contact the Cornell Public Service Center at (607) 255-1148.