Today marks the 36th anniversary of Martin Luther King Day, a national holiday to honor the work and service of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Each third Monday of January, celebrations are held throughout the United States Americans honoring King’s legacy through events and days of service to others.
Given the COVID pandemic, most events and options to volunteer have been moved online.
In our southeast Michigan, I found dozens of events happening today.
Here are a few of my favorites.
Wayne State University Annual Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Tribute
This year’s theme is Looking Back to Looking Ahead and features keynote speaker, Christopher W. Wilson, Director of Experience Design at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.
The annual event will be livestreamed at 10:00am and 5:00pm on January 17, 2022 (Eastern Time).
The free event includes vocal performances, poetry reading, reflections, and presentations of the Warrior Strong Distinguished Service Award and Dr. Arthur L. Johnson community leadership awards.
City of Detroit Martin Luther King (MLK) Day
Five hours of programming kicks off the City of Detroit’s MLK Day at noon (Eastern Time) honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Co-sponsored by the City of Detroit Office of Arts, Culture and Entrepreneurship (ACE) and Detroit Media, the event features chats with Detroit artist Jonathan Harris whose “Critical Race Theory” painting has dominated conversation in America and Dance Theatre of Harlem leaders.
Their event can be watched three ways:
19th Annual Detroit MLK Day Virtual Rally and March
Hosted by MLK Day Detroit, the 19th Annual Detroit MLK Day Virtual Rally and Webinar is 11:00am to 12:30pm Eastern Time on January 17, 2022.
Speakers include:
- Rev. Edward Pinkney of Benton Harbor, speaking on the water crisis
- Rev. Bill Wylie-Kellerman, retired Methodist minister, speaking on ending wars of the 21st century
- Allan Dennard, jazz musician, organizer with Detroit Will Breathe
- Aurora Harris, poet and lecturer in African American Studies at the University of Michigan-Dearborn
The free event will be livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube and requires pre-registration.
University of Michigan Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Symposium
Hosted by the University of Michigan, this year’s theme This is America kicks off at 10:00am Eastern Time on January 17, 2022 with a memorial lecture by Maria de Hinojosa Ojeda and Rashad Richey, PhD.
The event includes musical performances, poetry readings, moderated discussion, and a closing peformance with the recording of Marian Anderson singing at the Lincoln Memorial in 1939.
Join the livestream at 9:45am Eastern Time with a pre-show highlighting the MLK Symposium over the years.
