HISTORY
  
Board of Directors

FOUNDING CHAIR
The Honorable Barbara Lee
CONGRESSWOMAN
9TH–CD California

PRESIDING CHAIR
The Honorable Doug Siden
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT

VICE-CHAIR
Roddrick Lee
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, UPS

SECRETARY/TREASURER
Phyllis Jones
COMMUNITY ACTIVIST

Saundra Andrews
CONSTITUENT AFFAIRS
CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE

Miguel Bustos
INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
MAYOR RON DELLUMS

Iris Merriouns
CHIEF OF STAFF
COUNCILMEMBER LARRY REID

Mrs. Charlie Mae Davis
COMMUNITY ACTIVIST
BOARD MEMBER EMERITUS

Dr. Clayborne S. Carson
(Ex-Officio) DIRECTOR
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
PAPERS PROJECT
STANFORD UNIVERSITY

FOUNDER
Ira Jinkins

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
REGIONAL SHORELINE PARK
7250 DOOLITTLE DRIVE

Post Office Box 6518
Oakland, CA 94603, USA
Telephone: 1-877-872-3612
www.mlkfreedomcenter.org

 

In 1987, East Oakland community activist Ira Jinkins planted a magnolia tree in San Leandro Shoreline Park in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In 1993 Jinkins' lone tree was expanded to an entire grove of trees and a native plant garden by the East Bay Regional Park District. The park was renamed Martin Luther King, Jr. Regional Shoreline Park at that time.

Soon after, Jinkins, Congresswoman Barbara Lee and the East Oakland community came together to discuss the creation of a regional center dedicated to Dr. King’s ideals of non-violence, social change, racial and economic justice, and a peaceful world.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Freedom Center was born of their dreams and of a joint agreement between the City of Oakland, the East Bay Regional Park District, the Port of Oakland, the California State Costal Conservancy, the Martin Luther King, Jr. March & Rally Committee and then State Assembly Member Barbara Lee.

The Freedom Center is located on Doolittle Drive in the Shoreline Center in Martin Luther King, Jr. Regional Shoreline Park, a short walk from the site where Ira planted a tree and grove honoring Dr. King.

  
   
   
 
OUR VISION
  
 

As a center for nonviolence, equality, youth and ecology, the Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Center serves communities and organizations in the san Francisco Bay Area promoting these principles, and offers a safe environment where people can seek out peaceful, nonviolent solutions to the challenges we all face

  
   
   
 
FUTURE PLANS
 
 

The Freedom Center has collaborated with a number of community groups working in our issue areas. Additionally, we have hosted and co-sponsored workshops, retreats and special events at the Shoreline Center for dozens of organizations in order to assess the viability of our site as a meeting and retreat venue.

We hope to soon receive final approval of our 7-year business plan from our founding agencies. We will then continue to develop our programming and secure funding sources while simultaneously embarking on a design process for an expanded complex with interior and exterior elements in Martin Luther King, Jr. Regional Shoreline Park.