Since the Pasadena Martin Luther King Community Coalition began, it has worked in cooperation with both the City of Pasadena and the Pasadena Unified School District to address issues relevant to the dream Dr. King articulated in his seminal speech.

Over the years, the Coalition has also grown through support from community partners such as Pasadena Tournament of Roses, the National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Inc., the Pasadena & Altadena NAACP, the Ecumenical Council of Churches, Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance and Aspires West Pasadena. Likewise, much of the strongest support has come from a number of like-minded charitable organizations and individuals at a grassroots level through participation and donations.

Coalition Membership

The Coalition consists of approximately 20 – 25 people who meet ten (10) months of the year to plan, organize, and strategize the work to be done.

Call for Volunteers

Inasmuch as the MLK Community Coalition is a loosely structured organization, membership is determined by attendance and participation.

We invite the community members who are interested in working to keep Dr. King’s dream alive throughout the San Gabriel Valley and beyond to join the movement. Coalition membership is open to people who want to volunteer in the following areas:

• Reading student essays submitted for the MLK Essay and Art Contest
• Assessing, reviewing, and judging art work submitted
• Event planning and fundraising

Executive Committee

Dr. Jacqueline W. Jacobs President
Founding member
Experience and history in the 1960′s civil rights movement
Retired vice president, Pasadena City College
National, state, and local awards for volunteering

Allie Johnson Vice President
Founding member
Retired teacher, Los Angeles, CA
Dedicated and loyal member
Past official MLK Essay Contest Reader

Erika Grubbs former Vice President
Dedicated and loyal member
Licensed real estate broker
Active participant at church
Official MLK Essay Contest Reader

Barbara Bigby Secretary
Dedicated and loyal member
Retired teacher, Pasadena Unified School District
Sunday school teacher
MLK Essay Committee Chair
Official MLK Essay Contest Reader

Wayne Burton Treasurer
Dedicated and loyal member
Retired supervising radiological technologist
Official MLK Essay Contest Reader

Dr. David L. Jacobs MLK Program Director & Administrator
Founding member
Experience and history in the 1960′s civil rights movement
Adjunct professor, Pasadena City College
National, state, and local awards for volunteerism