George Takei will keynote the 5th Annual Fred Korematsu Day Celebration on Friday, January 30, 2015, from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.at City Arts and Lectures-Nourse Theatre in San Francisco. AsAmNews is proud to be a Promotional Partner of this event. Click here to buy your tickets online.
The Fred Korematsu Day commemoration is organized every year by the Fred T. Korematsu Institute to remember the life of Fred Korematsu and recognize the importance of preserving civil liberties. The 2015 commemoration not only marks the 5th anniversary of Fred Korematsu Day in California, but also the 10th anniversary of Fred Korematsu’s passing away in March 2005.
The Korematsu Institute is a fiscally sponsored project of Community Initiatives, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Fred Korematsu became a national civil rights icon for defying the U.S. government’s forced incarceration of Americans of Japanese ancestry during World War II. When President Clinton awarded Mr. Korematsu the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honor, he stated, “In the long history of our country’s constant search for justice, some names of ordinary citizens stand for millions of souls. Plessy, Brown, Parks – to that distinguished list, today we add the name of Fred Korematsu.”
Best known for playing Sulu on the original Star Trek TV series and six movies that followed, George Takei is unlikely social media royalty. Unofficially dubbed the King of Facebook, he counts 8.3 million fans in his online empire – including Trekkies, Howard Stern listeners, and the LGBTQ community –who devour his quirky mix of kitten jokes, Star Trek references, heartfelt messages, and sci-fi/fantasy memes.
An outspoken advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights, Takei has used his star power to champion numerous civil rights and social justice causes. California’s Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution is the first day in U.S. history named after an Asian American. It is celebrated every January 30th on Mr. Korematsu’s birthday.
The Fred Korematsu Day bill, AB 1775, was signed into law by former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on September 23, 2010. Numerous states have since adopted their own Korematsu Day through gubernatorial and legislative action.
Tickets to the event are $10 for students and seniors, $25 for the general public, and $100 for VIP tickets, which includes entry into a pre-event reception. Buy your tickets online or call City Box Office at 415-392-4400. Sponsorships and program book advertising are also available by emailing [email protected].