Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the most influential Civil Rights leaders of his generation. His use of civil disobedience as a way to show the world about unjust treatment of Black Americans at a time of segregation and discrimination. His legacy is honored every year on the third Monday of every January on what’s been designated as Martin Luther King Jr. Day and has been recognized as a federal holiday since President Ronald Reagan signed it into law in 1983.
Communities across the country will be holding celebratory events to honor the late Civil Rights trailblazer, including here in North Carolina. Qnotes has created a guide to some of the various festivities happening across the state for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Here are some of those events:
In Charlotte
The city of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County have come together to create a series of events meant to honor Martin Luther King Jr. This year’s celebration has expanded, according to the city’s website, in order to “celebrate those who are committed to carrying Dr. King’s legacy forward from generation to generation.”
Atrium Health will host a memorial service on Martin Luther King Jr.’s actual birthday, January 15. The ceremony will honor the life, death and legacy of the Civil Rights icon, and will include a wreath-laying ceremony at Marshall Park starting at 2 p.m. and ending around 3 p.m.
The annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Parade is set to take place on Saturday, Jan. 13 on Tryon Street, beginning at Ninth Street and ending at Brooklyn Village Avenue. According to the city’s website, more than 100 local organizations, marching bands and step and drill teams will participate in the parade. Some highly anticipated parts of the parade include floats with the student winners of the CMS MLK Art and Writing Contests and local performance groups.
The Atrium Health Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Growing the Dream luncheon is returning this year and is meant to “recognize Mecklenburg’s unsung heroes and community members who work to foster unity and promote diversity and multiculturalism in Charlotte-Mecklenburg.” The luncheon will include an award ceremony, where those who were nominated will be considered for the 2024 Growing the Dream Award. Previous years’ winners include Kieth Cockrell, Marvin Ellison, Eugene Woods, Dr. David Jacob, Ashani Hadiyah Smith, Tchernavia Montgomery, Deborah Woolard, Gerald Smith, Tiffany Jones, Debbie Smith, Joe McGirt, Charis Blackmon, Gemini Boyd, Curtis Bridges and David Legrand.
The annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. P.E.A.C.E. Basketball Showcase presented by Back to the Basics Academy will take place on Saturday, January 13 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at West Charlotte High School. Admission to the showcase will be $10.
There will be a discussion panel discussing the history of the Divine 9 — the nine historically Black fraternities and sororities — on Friday, Jan. 12, at JCSU from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Grimes Lounge. Local members of the Divine 9 will “come together to discuss their path in leadership and provide keys to navigating their journey to success,” according to the event’s listing. No registration will be required.
The Atrium Health National Observance and CMS Arts Writing Contest Awards will take place on Sunday, Jan. 14, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Mayfield Memorial Baptist Church. This event will feature a multimedia display of art created by Charlotte-Mecklenburg School students. Some of the art will include spoken word, music and dance performances, as well as their paintings, sculptures and other works of art.
In the Triangle
The town of Cary will host its annual Dreamfest, which will be held from Jan. 12 through Jan. 15. The festival will feature a series of in-person and virtual events, including films, performances, a day of community service and an interfaith church service.
The city of Apex is also looking to host a weekend long festival dedicated to King, including the Support Black Authors & Black Artists Exhibit at the Halle Cultural Arts Center, the MLK Unity March, Prayer Raleigh and Youth Summit, Social Justice Sunday and National Day of Service.
Durham Parks and Recreation is putting together an event called MLK: Remembering the Legacy through the Arts. The festival will start at 2 p.m. at W.D. Hill Recreation Center, 1308 Fayetteville Street in Durham. Things that will be featured at this event include visual art displays, open mic poetry, community discussions, live performances, arts and crafts projects and more.
There will also be a Triangle-area-wide MLK Day of Service hosted by the United Way of the Greater Triangle. This will be an event for young people across the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area and will start at noon on Jan. 15 at the Boys and Girls Club of Wake County’s Teen Center, 721 N Raleigh Blvd., in Raleigh. There will be conversation, an interactive learning experience, and a service project of packing winter kits.
A MLK-inspired book drive will be taking place in Durham on Jan. 15 from 1p.m. to 4 p.m., at Golden Belt Campus, 800 Taylor Street, Durham. This is a family-friendly event, so feel free to bring anyone you want.
The 20th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. March & Celebration in Fuquay-Varina will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, January 15. The parade will start at Falcon Park at 105 Falcon Drive and will stop at First Baptist Church of Fuquay-Varina at 105 N. West Street. The church will host a celebration after the parade start, which will feature local spoken word artists, vocalists, and community partners.
In Asheville
The 14th Annual Kenilworth Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. will be taking place Monday, January 15 at Kenilworth Presbyterian Church, which will include a community potluck at 5 p.m. at the Kenilworth Center followed by the program at 6:30 p.m. in the Church Sanctuary.
This year’s theme is “A Capital for Black Capitalism: Soul City, N.C. and its Unique Connection to Asheville,” and will include a talk from keynote speaker Floyd B. McKissick Jr. Esq., the son of the late civil rights leader and Asheville native, Floyd B. McKissick.
In South Carolina
The YWCA of Greater Charleston’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade will be on Jan. 15. The event will feature local musical groups, churches, community leaders, marching bands and more. The parade will start at Burke High School beginning at 10:30 a.m. and will stop at Emanuel AME Church.
The Columbia Museum of Art will be open on MLK Day for visitors to check out its exhibits, as well as take part in special MLK-centric programming. Some activities include line dancing on Boyd Plaza beginning at 1:00 p.m. and a storytelling celebration beginning at 1:30 p.m.
Coffee Underground in Greenville will be hosting a Martin Luther King Spoken Word Celebration, which will feature the work of emerging and veteran poetic artists from around the Upstate area. All poetry is welcome, according to the event’s listing on a Greenville tourism website. Open mic poets can read or recite one poem, as well as network with other poets and poetry aficionados.