Good morning. Today is the 16th day of the year. On this day in 1919, the 18th Amendment, establishing prohibition of alcoholic beverages, was ratified. One year later, the amendment, also known as the Volstead Act, took effect. The 21st Amendment, repealing prohibition, took effect on Dec. 6, 1933. Prohibition is thought by historians to have been the main spur for the growth of organized crime in big cities during the 1920s.

Well-known people who were born today include dancer-choreographer Debbie Allen, opera singer Marilyn Horne, country singer Ronnie Milsap and former baseball player Jack McDowell.

CELEBRATION OF DR. KING AND OBAMA at LIU’S Kumble Theater.

This Sunday, Jan. 18, at 3:30 p.m., the Kumble Theater for the Performing Arts will host a celebration of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and will welcome a new era with the presidency of Barack Obama.

The Kumble Theater is located at One University Plaza, Brooklyn on the Downtown Brooklyn campus of Long Island University.

Kevin Powell, Rock the Vote, the Fort Greene Association, KRH Consulting, the Hiphop Theater Festival and Akila Workshop are sponsoring the event, known as “Dr. King, Civil Rights, Hip Hop and Barack Obama.�

The master of ceremonies will be John Buffalo Mailer. Kevin Powell, former Congressional candidate in Brooklyn and former staff member at Vibe magazine, will be the keynote speaker.

“If there was ever a time to celebrate the dream and vision of Dr. King, it is now, in 2009, I don’t think it is a coincidence that the King holiday and Barack’s inauguration are happening back to back,� said Powell, who was also a cast member on the first episode of The Real World.

84th PRECINCT COMMUNITY COUNCIL on Tuesday.

The 84th Precinct Community Council, covering Downtown Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO, will hold its next meeting this Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Borough Hall.

The meeting will include a presentation by the NYPD Aviation Unit as well as the Cop of the Year Award and a report by a Transit Police unit.

Transportation will be provided by the Police Department to and from the meeting. Call Community Affairs at (718) 875-6850 to arrange transportation.

EMPIRE STATE COLLEGE To Host Info Session on MAT Program.

Empire State College of the State University of New York will hold a public information session about its Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) on Wed., Jan. 21 at 5 p.m. at its Brooklyn Unit, 177 Livingston St.

Students enrolled in the program take a combination of online courses and seminars. The MAT is designed for adults who seek a career teaching middle or high school in a high-needs urban school district.

The program offers students a fast track to the classroom while allowing teacher candidates to retain their current employment for a year. After the first year, students are eligible for transitional certification as entry-level teachers, while completing their studies part-time.

Those who would like more information about the session should call (800) 847-3000 or visit the Center for Graduate Programs web site at www.esc.edu/grad.

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