South Florida’s Caribbean-American community celebrates Don Rico/Dr. MLK Jr. birthday with double bashment
MIAMI GARDENS – “Marcus Garvey was the first man to give Negroes (Blacks) a sense of dignity,” asserted Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., while visiting Garvey’s native country, Jamaica.
As the Great Civil Rights Crusader laid a memorial wreath at the gravesite and shrine of the internationally revered Pan-Africanist leader in Jamaica’s National Heroes Park, he stressed the significance of the foundation laid down in the early 20th century by Garvey, a National Hero in Jamaica, and the man who many regard as historically the most effective advocate and defender of the rights of Blacks worldwide.
In a salute to that spirit of international progress, respect and solidarity, and on behalf of his own native country, Jamaica, Don Rico (who shares the same January 15 birthday with Dr King) & Friends, in association with The Marcus Garvey Celebrations Committee, & IMI, Inc., presents
“The 1st donricoMLKjr DOUBLE BIRTHDAY BASHMENT & FUNDRAISER“ on Friday, January 18, 2008, at Great Kings Café, 13914 NW 7th Avenue, in Miami starting at 7:00 p.m.
Don Rico
The donricoMLKjr DOUBLE BIRTHDAY BASHMENT is being used to raise awareness and funds in support of The Annual Marcus Garvey Birthday Celebrations, which has been an August calendar event in South Florida since 1987.
The 2-part Garvey Celebrations consist of The Annual Marcus Garvey Birthday Lecture/Forum, and LIONSPLASH: The Pan-African Birthday Bash, Back-To-School Family Fun Day & Cultural Concert.
A special feature of “The 1st donricoMLKjr DOUBLE BIRTHDAY BASHMENT & FUNDRAISER” is the South Florida launch of the new book by Dub Poet Yasus Afari titled “Overstanding Rastafari: Jamaica’s Gift To The World.”
Ras Afari will be reading and signing his book. Then he will joined by celebrity co-host, South Florida’s own premier Dub Poet, Malachi Smith, for what should be a ‘dub poetry jam’ and the lead-in to sizzling Spoken Word performances from some of SoFla’s most talented, including Kimani Kenyatta, Maha, Haiti Bluez, and others.
The evenings Edutainment will be capped by live performances from international and homegrown reggae stars. Various specially invited Sound Systems, Selectors and DJ’s (including Revelation Sounds, London Connection, C-Roy The Entertainer, DJ Festus from Nigeria…) will share the stage with celebrity MC’s and community co-hosts to ‘rock the house’ in tribute to Dr. King, Marcus Garvey, and in wishing Don Rico a happy 60th birthday.
Admission to the event will be $10 after 9p.m.
