MLK Day 2024 chock full of events in cities most important to him
The King Center said the strategic theme for this year's events is "Shifting the Cultural Climate through the Study and Practice of Kingian Nonviolence."
Martin Luther King Jr. Day returns Monday, Jan. 15, marking what would’ve been the 95th birthday of the civil rights movement’s most prominent leader.
The King Center, headed by King’s family, said on its website the strategic theme for this year’s events is “Shifting the Cultural Climate through the Study and Practice of Kingian Nonviolence, a sustainable remedy to injustice and violence.
King’s impact continues to resonate across the country. Please keep reading for details on commemorative events in the cities most important to him and his legacy.
Atlanta
King was born and raised in Atlanta on Jan. 15, 1929.
He was baptized at the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, where he later preached alongside his father until his 1968 assassination. He is buried at The King Cente r.
Beloved Community Commemorative Service is the spiritual hallmark of the King Holiday Observance. The service is an ecumenical endeavor that is held at Ebenezer Baptist Church located near The King Center. The service is free and open to the public, and seating is limited.
- Beloved Community Commemorative Service
Time: 10 to 11 a.m.
Ebenezer Baptist Church
101 Jackson St., NE
Atlanta, GA 30312 - Atlanta Hawks vs. San Antonio Spurs – MLK Day Game
Time: 3:30 p.m.
State Farm Arena
1 Philips Drive Atlanta, GA 30303
Atlanta, GA 30303 - MLK Day 5K – Drum Run
Time: 9 a.m.
First Baptist Church of Doraville
5935 New Peachtree Rd.
Doraville, GA 30093
For a comprehensive list of Martin Luther King Jr. Day events in Atlanta.
Boston
The father of four also had a special connection to Boston, where he met his wife, Coretta Scott King, and earned his Ph. D. in Theology from Boston University in 1955.
- 21st Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Tribute Concert
Time: 4 p.m.
Symphony Hall
301 Massachusetts Ave.
Boston, MA 02115 - 54th Annual MLK Memorial Breakfast
Time: 9 to 11 a.m.
Boston Convention and Exhibition Center
415 Summer St.
Boston, MA 02210 - Belmont World Film’s Family Festival: Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King
Time: 10:30 a.m.
Brattle Theatre
40 Brattle St.
Cambridge, MA 02138
For a comprehensive list of Martin Luther King Jr. Day events in Boston.
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Alabama
King began garnering national attention for his efforts while leading Alabama’s Montgomery bus boycott. Catalyzed by Rosa Parks’ arrest four days earlier, the boycott began on Dec. 5 and saw 90% of the city’s Black residents avoid the buses the first day.
On Dec 20, 1956, just over a year later, the U.S. Supreme Court declared segregation on public transportation unconstitutional.
For a comprehensive list of Martin Luther King Jr. Day events in Alabama.
Birmingham
In 1963, King and the Rev. Ralph Abernathy led nonviolent demonstrations against Birmingham’s “race mixing” laws. They were arrested on April 12 for leading a march against an injunction prohibiting anti-segregation protests.
During his eight days in custody, King penned the “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” a significant document of the civil rights movement, in response to white clergymen who disapproved of his use of civil disobedience and resistance.
On Oct. 30, 1967, the duo was arrested and sentenced to five days in jail for their efforts.
- The Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Breakfast
Time: 6:30 a.m.
Birmingham Southern’s Norton Student Center
800 8th Ave. W
Birmingham, AL 35254
Contact: Aaron Carlton, (205)-585-6463
Selma to Montgomery Marches
The three Selma marches of 1965 protested the systemic racism of the Jim Crow South, preventing Black Americans from exercising their right to vote.
Led by Hosea Williams of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and Rev. John Lewis, then head of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, the first march started on March 7.
After passing over the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, the group encountered state troopers and local law enforcement officers, who assaulted them with clubs and tear gas when they refused to turn around.
The horrific events came to be known as “Bloody Sunday” and sparked a surge in support for the voting rights movement and the civil rights activists in Selma.
King led the second march, “Turnaround Tuesday,” on March 9. While they expected an entire march to Montgomery, troopers and police officers, once again, met protesters at the end of the Pettus Bridge. After leading the crowd in prayer, King and other clergy members guided them back to Selma.
The third march departed from Brown Chapel AME Church in Selma on March 21, and on March 25, thousands of peaceful protestors arrived at the steps of the Montgomery Capitol.
The Selma Marches marked a significant turning point, leading to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Memphis
King maintained his role within the civil rights movement until April 4, 1968, when James Earl Ray assassinated him outside the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tenn.
- King Day in Memphis
Time: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
National Civil Rights Museum
450 Mulberry St.
Memphis, TN 38103 - DeSoto County Annual MLK Jr. 5K Unity Run/Walk
Time: 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.
City of Southaven Parks Department
3335 Pine Tar Alley
Southaven, MS
For a comprehensive list of Martin Luther King Jr. Day events in Memphis.
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