Unity across Atlantic to celebrate Martin Luther King Day
BLACK BRITS are joining with African Americans to celebrate Martin Luther King Day today with a series of events.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal holiday in the United States, which celebrates the birthday of the iconic civil rights leader.
The holiday is observed on the third Monday of January each year in the US, but now the work and legacy of Dr King is being observed closer to home.
In London today, there will be a chance to get creative and use arts and crafts to pay tribute to Dr King, at the Wood Street Library in Waltham Forest, East London at 4pm.
This activity will also take place at the Hale End Library in Waltham Forest, on Tuesday 17 January, at 4pm.
The events are free and are suitable for all age groups.
To book a space, please contact [email protected]
There will also be a variety of online events taking place to celebrate the life of Dr King, which are open for attendees in the UK.
AN MLK CELEBRATION: An online event will examine Dr King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech and its impact
An esteemed panel discussion about Dr King’s “I Have a Dream” speech will take place online tonight at 9pm, as part of an event called An MLK Celebration.
Hosted by Rev. Jackie Hawkins, the discussion will include conversations about the impact of the speech and how his statements relate to communities during challenging times.
The panel will include Revs. Eric Ovid Donaldson, Diana McDaniel, Sylvia Sumter, and James Trapp. You can also look forward to special guest appearances from Pat Baxter; Bukeka Blakemore; John Stringer; Revs. Sheila McKeithen, J.D.; Tawnicia Ferguson Rowan; Gaylon McDowell; Edith Washington-Woods; and more.
This MLK Celebration will be broadcast live on Facebook on Monday, January 16, 2023 at 9pm (GMT).
MLK STEM Night is a virtual event that will commemorate Dr King’s legacy with a focus on education and will look at how Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects can help the next generation of leaders and visionaries.
The guest speaker will be Mel Pettis, who is a John Deere Sr. Management Retiree, a Pioneer in Workplace Equity, Community Organizer and US Veteran.
The online event will take place on Thursday 19 January, at 11pm (GMT).
Those interested in attended are being asked to register at nsbertp.eventbrite.org to receive an email notification with meeting access information.
94.
Today is your 94th birthday.
Everything you could have said about the human condition & how to improve it, you said. With courageous action.
Will we see in 2023 that honoring you = more than statues & quotes?
End racism (all inhumane isms)
Eradicate poverty
End militarism pic.twitter.com/ZIohKrT32o
The Political Economy of Martin Luther King Jr. is an online webinar, hosted by author Edward Dodson, who will examine the evolution of King’s thinking on extreme poverty.
This event is free and is held online.
Dr King’s birthday was on 15 January.
On social media, his daughter, Bernice King, paid tribute to her late father, writing: “94. Today is your 94th birthday.
“Everything you could have said about the human condition & how to improve it, you said. With courageous action.
“Will we see in 2023 that honouring you = more than statues & quotes?
“End racism (all inhumane isms)
“Eradicate poverty
“End militarism.”
Ms King is the CEO of the Martin Luther king Jr. Centre, which was established in 1968 by her mother Mrs Coretta Scott King.
The King Centre has been a global destination, resource centre and community institution for over a quarter century.
In 2021, the UK’s only organisation that installs plaques to celebrate black history icons announced a plaque for Dr King would be unveiled in the US – for the first time.
The Nubian Jak Community Trust (NJCT) announced two plaques would be installed in the United States to celebrate the lives of Marcus Mosiah Garvey and Martin Luther King.
Speaking to The Voice, at the time Jak Beula NJCT founder, said: “I’m going to be honouring Martin Luther King with a plaque that christalises his first foray into activism.
“Everyone knows Martin Luther King, but they don’t know the actual story of his beginnings.”
For more information on all the events or to book tickets, please visit: https://allevents.in/london/martin-luther-king-day
