(WWJ) – Monday, Jan. 17 is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, as Americans celebrate one of the nation’s greatest civil rights activists.
As schools and many companies take the federal holiday off, there will be plenty of celebrations happening across the metro Detroit area, from keynote speakers and speeches, to marches and educational films and museum experiences.
Here are some of the festivities taking place across southeast Michigan on Monday.
• The 28th annual United We Walk event in West Bloomfield will begin at 1 p.m. on Sunday at West Bloomfield High School, with the theme “Dream, Believe, Do.” Find more details here.
• The 19th annual Detroit MLK rally will be held virtually via Zoom, focusing on jobs, peace and justice, while protecting water, climate and communities. The event begins at 11 a.m. More information can be found on MLKDetroit.org
• At 1 p.m. Monday the Detroit Institute of Arts’ Detroit Film Theatre will show the Oscar-nominated “King: A Filmed Record… Montgomery to Memphis.” The film features historic footage of King’s speeches, protests, arrests and more. The event is free to attend after registering on the DIA website.
• Berkley and Royal Oak are partnering for a joint MLK Day event – “A Day On, Not a Day Off” – in both communities with a virtual speech at 9:30 a.m., a donation drive at 10:30 a.m. and a freedom walk at 11 a.m. There will also be a performance by the Detroit Youth Choir.
• Downtown Milford will hold the March on Main Street and Soup Meal Assembly event. The Huron Valley Martin Luther King Day committee is encouraging volunteerism and community engagement. More events will be held throughout January and details can be found at hvmlk.org
• The Southfield MLK Task Force is hosting a Drive for Freedom, Justice and Equity Parade, followed by a virtual commemorative program. Festivities begin at 9 a.m. More details can be found by calling the MLK Task Force hotline at (248) 924-9MLK or visiting www.mlktaskforcemi.org.
• Give us the Ballot at the Detroit Historical Museum will be four hours of family friendly programming from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Festivities will include a mock election for kids, a choir performance and more. Find more information on the DHS website.
• Admission is free Monday at the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation in Dearborn from 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Registration is required.
• The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit will have a virtual keynote speaker and other activities at the museum throughout the day. More details can be found on the museum’s website.
• Students, faculty and community members will come together to celebrate MLK at the Diag on the campus of the University of Michigan in Ann arbor from 3-4 p.m.
• Painting with a Twist in Ferndale is holding MLK Family Day, an opportunity for people of all ages to paint an MLK-inspired piece of art. There will be separate sessions for young boys and girls in the afternoon, as well as an adults-only event at 7 p.m. Find details on the Painting with a Twist website.
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