Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a federal holiday, will be observed on Jan. 19.
The holiday falls on the third Monday in January each year and is held around the civil rights leader’s birthday on Jan. 15, 1929.
The holiday honors King’s leadership in the Civil Rights Movement, where he served as a pivotal leader for justice and equality. He’s known for leading the Montgomery Bus Boycott, writing influential works such as “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” and delivering his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech.
Following his assassination in 1968, there was a 15-year push to designate a national holiday to honor him, according to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. In 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed the bill into law, designating the third Monday in January as Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Several events are being held around Stark County:
∎ The 33rd annual MLK Jr. Mayors’ Breakfast, hosted by The Greater Canton Martin Luther King Jr. Commission, will be from 7:45 to 10 a.m. Jan. 15 at the DoubleTree by Hilton, 320 Market Ave. S, Canton. Federal Judge Charles Fleming will be the keynote speaker. Doors open at 7 a.m. For tickets, visit http://alturl.com/ax9zn. For more information, call 330-437-3708, ext. 1708.
∎ The 39th annual Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Shabbat service will be from 6:15 to 7:30 p.m. Jan. 16 at Temple Israel, 432 30th St. NW, Canton. Refreshments will be available starting at 5:30 p.m. Courtney Johnson-Benson will be the speaker. A reception will follow from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. All are welcome. To RSVP, visit https://www.templeisraelcanton.org/mlk. For more information, call Temple Israel at 330-455-5197 or email [email protected].
∎ The 51st annual Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration “We Will Not Be Moved! – The Struggle Continues,” sponsored by the Leila Green Alliance of Black School Educators, will be at noon Jan. 19 at the Edward “Peel” Coleman Center, 1400 Sherrick Road SE, Canton. The program is free, and all are welcome. McKinley High School senior Dajeun L. Dickerson Jr., an award-winning singer and actor, will be the keynote speaker. Doors open at 10 a.m. to browse entrepreneurs’ exhibits and tables. Honorees are Roslyn Pratt, Karen Loutzenheiser Zutali, Stacie Morgan, Jean Engohang-Ndong and a youth honoree to be announced. Breakfast catered by Shirley Weatherspoon’s Bless It Spoonful is available for those who wish to participate.
The deadline to RSVP or reserve entrepreneur/exhibit tables is Jan. 16. To RSVP or for more information, call or text Chairwoman Stephanie Rushin Patrick at 330-495-2658 or President Yvonne Parks at 330-495-7900.
∎The University of Mount Union in Alliance will host several events throughout the week. The annual MLK Day of Service is Jan. 19. Registration is required, and all volunteers will meet at Mount Union’s Peterson Field House at 9 a.m.
The National Day of Racial Healing Unity Walk and Chapel Service will be at 11:15 a.m. Jan. 20, beginning at Chapman Hall. EJ Shorts will be delivering the message during the chapel service.
The university will also host a Food for Thought meal and discussion from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Jan. 21 in the Newbold Room of its Hoover-Price Campus Center.
Concluding the week’s events is the MLK Awards Ceremony and Keynote, held in the Dewald Chapel at 11:15 a.m. Jan. 22. The keynote will be delivered by Kemp Boyd, executive director of Love Akron, pastor at Street Light Church and head football coach at Garfield High School. MLK Awards will be presented to Mark Black, chief organizational impact officer and senior Title IX administrator at Mount Union, Mount Union student Ava Powers, Marion (Duke) Grimes and Susan Mastroianni.
To learn more about the events and register for the MLK Day of Service, visit mountunion.edu/mlk-week.
∎ Stark State College’s Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration will be at 11:30 a.m. Jan. 28 in the Stark State College Business and Entrepreneurial Center, Room M100, 6200 Frank Ave. NW, Jackson Township. The event will feature “Becoming the Bridge: Belonging, Community and the Power of Listening,” a presentation by James Knight, an educator, executive coach, consultant, author and strategist. All members of the community are welcome. Contact Darnell Tucker at [email protected] for questions or to RSVP.
