DETROIT (WWJ) - Community and civic events will take place around the metro Detroit area in honor of Martin Luther King holiday. Check out the list below if you are looking for something special to do this holiday.
Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History
14th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Commemorative Breakfast ($)
Monday 1/20 at 8 a.m.; Doors at 7 a.m.
Join the Friends and Women’s Committees for a rousing meal for the body, mind and spirit!
Doors open at 7 a.m. and seating is on a first come, first serve basis; valet parking will be available.
Breakfast is from 8 – 9 a.m. in the Ford Freedom Rotunda followed by a program in the General Motors Theater featuring Reverend Dr. Carlyle Fielding Stewart III, Senior Pastor, Hope United Lutheran Church; Charleston, South Carolina’s contemporary violinist Daniel Davis; China Cochran, Lyric Soprano; 2013 Miss Michigan American Sweetheart, Isabella Vesprini; and the Institute of Music & Dance at Marygrove College. Honorary Chair – Posthumously: The Honorable Coleman A. Young, Mayor of the City of Detroit; Honorary Co-Chair: The Honorable Damon J. Keith, United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit.
Your commemorative breakfast ticket also includes FREE admission to all MLK Day activities at the Museum!
Tickets are $35 and are available at the museum, by phone at (800) 838-3006 or online at TheWright.org (phone and online orders are subject to service charges).
GROUPS: Tickets are $30 each when purchased in groups of 10 or more. Proceeds benefit the Museum’s ongoing educational programming.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration at The Wright Museum
Monday 1/20 from 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is The Wright Museum’s busiest day of the year – and with good reason! It’s an exciting day of celebration that includes children’s workshops, arts and crafts, musical performances, storytelling, video tributes, special displays of MLK-related artifacts including The Table of Brotherhood and a scale model of the Martin Luther King Jr., National Memorial in Washington D.C., and much, much more!
New this year will be a musical performance by Charleston, South Carolina’s contemporary violinist Daniel Davis, a morning book signing by the Honorable Damon J. Keith for Crusader of Justice, and the opening of the exhibition, Point of View: African American Art Masters from the Elliot and Kimberly Perry Collection, which features works by modern masters such as Henry Ossawa Tanner, William Edouard Scott, Elizabeth Catlett, James Van Der Zee, and many others.
Point of View is part of a two-venue collaborative exhibition in partnership with the Flint Institute of Arts. The first 100 visitors will receive a signed copy of Crusader for Justice: Federal Judge Damon J. Keith by Peter J. Hammer and Trevor W. Coleman with purchase of a museum membership or commemorative breakfast ticket courtesy of the Ford Motor Company Fund.
All activities and exhibits are free with museum admission.
Detroit Historical Museum
Monday, January 20 from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Come celebrate the 85th birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with the “MLK Day: Bring the Dream to Life” event.
This FREE event is a great way for families of all ethnic backgrounds to celebrate Dr. King’s life and legacy.
In this first-time event, visitors can participate in various crafts and activities including creating a pillar wall mural and test their knowledge on Dr. King’s life.
Other scheduled activities include:
An exclusive film screening of “Episode Five: Rise! The Road to Civil Rights (1940-1968)” from the recently aired PBS series “African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross” at 10:30 a.m. – courtesy of Detroit Public Television.
An open mic on the theme “The Dream” with hosts Thomas Williams and One Single Rose from 2-3:30 p.m. in the auditorium.
Grab a cupcake and sing Stevie Wonder’s “Happy Birthday” at 3:30 p.m. in Wrigley Hall followed by “We Shall Overcome.”
Admission is free for the Museum and these special programs.
For more information, call 313.833.1805 or check out our website at detroithistorical.org.
The Detroit Historical Museum, located at 5401 Woodward Ave. (NW corner of Kirby) in Midtown Detroit, is open to the public Tuesday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free for all, all the time. Parking in the Museum’s lot is $5 at all times. Group tour pricing and information is available by calling 313.833.1733.
Permanent exhibits include the famous Streets of Old Detroit, the Allesee Gallery of Culture, Kid Rock Music Lab, Doorway to Freedom: Detroit and the Underground Railroad, Detroit: The “Arsenal of Democracy,” Frontiers to Factories, America’s Motor City, and The Glancy Trains. For more information, call the Museum at 313.833.1805 or check out our website.
Romulus Community Celebration
One of Michigan’s largest community celebrations remembering the life of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will take place Monday, January 20, in the City of Romulus.
Everyone is invited to participate in Romulus’ annual Martin Luther King Walk and Celebration, starting at Romulus Middle School and ending at Romulus High School.
Shuttle service will be provided from the high school (9650 Wayne Road) to the middle school (37300 Wick Road) from 7 to 7:45 a.m.. The walk will begin at 8 a.m. at the middle school, traveling east on Wick Road and south on Wayne Road to the high school.
After the walk, breakfast will be served at the high school by members of the Rotary Club of Romulus.
At about 9:30 a.m., the celebration will continue with speakers and presentations in the high school auditorium.
The day is organized by representatives of the City of Romulus, the Romulus Ministerial Alliance, the Romulus Community Schools and other volunteers.
For more information, call City Clerk Ellen Craig-Bragg at (734) 942-7540.
Westland Hosts Western Wayne County MLK Day Celebration
Monday, January 20, 2014 at 10:00 a.m.
Senator Levin will join Mayor Wild and local elected officials in commemoration of the life, legacy and dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the civil rights leader and pastor who dedicated his life to seeking equality for all people.
The Ceremony will be held at the Annapolis Park Church of Christ, located at 30355 Annapolis, south of Michigan Avenue, between Henry Ruff and Middlebelt Roads.
The Ceremony will reflect Dr. King Jr.’s vision for a nation of equality for all races and religions through inspirational performances, artistic representations and historical perspective by Anthony Lucas, a presenter from Henry Ford’s Greenfield Village, who will be delivering excerpts from Dr. King’s most famous speeches.
To honor this day, city and county dignitaries are inviting community members to join them for this free and public event. At the conclusion of the Ceremony, guests are invited to stay for light refreshments.
MOSES 17th Annual Fundraising Banquet - Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration
Monday, January 20, 2014
Doors open at 6:00 p.m., program starts promptly at 6:30 p.m.
“I Have A Dream …” Celebrating the past, present and future legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the individuals and organizations that have made positive contributions in the area of equality and social justice.
Guest Speaker: Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun
Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun is an American politician, a lawyer and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority who has made a political career out of being first. She is the first and only female to represent Illinois in the U.S. Senate; the first and only African American woman elected to the U. S. Senate and the first woman to defeat an incumbent U.S. Senator in an election. She is also a former candidate for U. S. President and has also served as the U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa.
Tickets: $50
Location: Burton Manor
27777 Schoolcraft Road
Livonia MI 48150
MLK JR. SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 5TH ANNUAL LEGACY MARCH
10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
The March will begin in front of the school at 3200 East Lafayette for a 1.2 mile walk.
This year’s theme is “Our Legacy United in Peace”, honoring Dr. King and President Nelson Mandela.
SOUTHFIELD MLK DAY 29TH ANNUAL PEACE WALK CELEBRATION
11:00 AM – 11: 30 AM:
City of Southfield Pavilion, 26000 Evergreen Road, Southfield
Holiday Peace Walk Celebration
9 a.m. at Hope United Methodist Church, 26275 Northwestern Highway
The peace walk will depart from Hope United at 9:45 a.m., followed by an 11 a.m. program at the Southfield Pavilion, located in the Southfield Municipal Complex, 26000 Evergreen Road.
The event will also feature the Presentation of Colors by the Buffalo Soldiers, Tuskegee Airmen and Southfield Police & Fire Departments, a special dance tribute by the Motor City Dance Factory as well as musical performances by Pastor Tim Larson of Peace Lutheran Church, vocalist Davis Gloff, and Thompson Middle School Choir.
The program will conclude with the presentation of the 2014 MLK Community Service Award, the MLK Peace Pledge and the ringing of the Liberty Bell.
ANNUAL DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. LUNCHEON
12:00 PM – 2:00 PM:
St. George Cultural Center, 43816 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills
Annual Detroit MLK Day Rally & March to Focus on 50th Anniversary of Freedom Summer
Monday, Jan. 20, Beginning at Noon
Central United Methodist Church, located on Woodward Avenue and East Adams.
There will be a rally and a march through downtown Detroit returning to the church for a community meal and cultural program.
The theme of the 2014 event is “Honoring the Legacy of Freedom Summer of 1964 and Lessons for Today.”
Special tributes will be paid to the historic and courageous work of Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer of Sunflower County, Mississippi who was a leading member of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) which challenged the seating of the all-white Democratic Party delegation at the national convention in Atlantic City, NJ that summer.
The public is cordially invited to attend this 11th annual Detroit MLK Day event featuring Bobbi Thompson & The Deep River Choir, the Detroit School of Arts Acappella Group, “Vision.” Special speakers will include recently-retired City Councilwoman JoAnn Watson; Retired-Judge Claudia Morcom, National Lawyers Guild Southern Regional Coordinator during Freedom Summer; Edith Lee Payne, a participants in the 1963 Great Walk to Freedom in Detroit and the March on Washington; Cynthia Blair, Detroit activist with the Stop the Theft of Our Pensions Committee (STOPC); Michael Reynolds of the Michigan Coalition for Human Rights (MCHR) 2013 Freedom Tour, among others.
Second Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Bike Ride
Monday @ 10 a.m. Registration required @ www.Tour-de-Troit.org
The 10-mile route will cover the 1963 March to Freedom and pass several historical sites relevant to Dr. King and other local activists that were integral to the March and the “I Have a Dream” speech delivered at Cobo Arena afterwards. Kenneth V. Cockrel, Jr., Tour de Troit Board Member and Detroit Future City Executive Director will also be participating. 150 people registered.
McGregor Memorial Conference Center
Wayne State University Campus
495 Ferry Mall
It’s FREE but registration required @ www.Tour-de-Troit.org
City Year Detroit - Martin Luther King Day Rally,
Monday 9:30-10:30 a.m.
Detroit Collegiate Prep High School at Northwestern
2200 West Grand Boulevard, Detroit, MI 48208
9:00 a.m. Check-in and complimentary continental breakfast
9:30 a.m. Program begins
Parking Information: Please park at the back of Detroit Collegiate Prep at Northwestern in the parking lot off of Lawton.
Please, park within in the fenced in area and look for City Year Corps Members at the back doors to direct you in and to the rally!
The Huron Valley Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day
“The Power of Peace, Love, and Respect” is the theme inspiring a series of local events honoring the Dr. King Holiday, including a film discussion, charity event, community volunteer fair, and concert by Josh White Jr.
“This is an exciting development for our committee,” said Committee Chair Isaac Perry. “The fact that more organizations are hosting MLK Day-related events to complement our annual March on Main Street highlights the growing interest and enthusiasm people have regarding this day and its message of service to the community.”
The HVMLK Day Committee will host the 9th annual March on Main Street from Prospect Hill to Central Park starting at 1 p.m. (lineup begins at 12:15 with music, information and free refreshments) on January 20. During the line-up ceremony, the committee will award the winners of the Art, Writing, and Multimedia Contest.
As in previous years, winners and selected submissions will be on display in the storefront windows of several downtown businesses during the week before the march.
Participants in the march are encouraged to head to downtown Milford for lunch and to view the competition submissions before heading to Prospect Hill for line-up.
Following the March will be a Community Volunteer Fair at Milford Presbyterian Church which will showcase this year’s main music performer, Josh White Jr., as well as local charities, non-profits, projects, and many other opportunities for local citizens young and old to give back to needy families, network with other volunteers in the area, and learn about how to donate time and energy for the betterment of Huron Valley.
The Community Volunteer Fair, which will run from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., is meant to encourage service throughout the year so that the impact of honoring MLK Day will become more than just a single-day observance.
All events offered by the HVMLK Day Committee are free and open to the public. For more information on Huron Valley’s MLK Day activities, visit the committee’s website www.HVMLKDay.org, like them on Facebook, or contact Isaac Perry at 248-685-7254.
CLOSED ON THE HOLIDAY:
The Michigan Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, and the State Court Administrative Office will be closed on Monday January 20 in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday.
