Honoring Martin Luther King, Jr.
Join the Park School community in honoring Dr. King’s legacy by taking part in the following 2021 events.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the legacy of civil protest threads through history into our present events gripping our nation. As we continue to reflect on this legacy and its implications in the present day, our students will engage in various conversations, assemblies, and activities throughout January.
We encourage families to view the host of events taking place virtually and throughout Baltimore and the region to celebrate, honor, reflect, and promote the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Events at Park
Discussion of Martin Luther King’s Letter From a Birmingham Jail
Families are invited to gather virtually January 21 at 7 p.m. for a discussion hosted by the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The conversation will explore Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Letter From a Birmingham Jail. Take time to read the letter in advance, and share your thoughts about this pivotal and influential document and what it means to you and to our society today. All ages welcome. (Please note, this special event is running in lieu of the Cultural Film & Discussion Series screening previously scheduled.)
Regional Events and Programs
MLK Holiday DC 15th Annual Peace Rally and community clean up — Monday, January 18, 9am
MLK Jr Ave & Howard Rd SE • Washington, DC
Cityfam’s 6th Annual MLK day of Service — Monday, January 18 8:30 am
Join Cityfam for our 6th annual MLK Day of Service. Cityfam is partnering with Civic Works to celebrate and serve the city of Baltimore and honor the legacy of Dr. King. On January 18th volunteers will go to multiple locations/online to serve and join the millions of Americans throughout the country that will be giving back.
INTERACTIVE MUSEUM PROGRAMS AT PORT DISCOVERY — January 18-20
Port Discovery Children’s Museum is hosting “Be the Light- Celebrating the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.” this weekend in honor of Dr. King. Throughout the day, the event will feature interactive programs and performances inspired by Dr. King’s message of promoting fairness. Through celebrating differences in the Baltimore community, attendees will learn how to become changemakers themselves. Port Discovery Children’s Museum, 35 Market Pl. All Day. Free admission with museum entry.
MLK DAY AT CREATIVE ALLIANCE — January 19
Repair the World Baltimore at the Creative Alliance will be commemorating the holiday with “MLK Day 2020: An Unequal Education.” With Maryland schools highly segregated today, there are many racial achievement gaps as well, as a lack of different perspectives, due to limited diversity. Attendees will view the documentary Teach Us All, sit in on a panel of local experts speaking about education inequality, and hear a discussion about inequality in Baltimore City Public Schools in order to further the conversation about school segregation. There will also be an opportunity to donate and pack mid-year school supplies for middle schoolers in West Baltimore. Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Free.
BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION AT AVAM — January 20
The American Visionary Art Museum is throwing its annual “MLK Dare to Dream Day”, a birthday celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. that runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. With elements such as a printmaking power patch workshop, artist talk by Kyle Yearwood, slam poetry, open mic, choir performance, an African dance and drum performance, and birthday cake, the event will surely be one to remember. AVAM will also be collecting new and gently used socks to donate to Paul’s Place, a charity in Southwest Baltimore that improves the quality of life for residents of the area. American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Hwy. 10a.m.-5p.m. Free, RSVP recommended.
DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. PARADE — January 20
The 20th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade hosted by the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts will be from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard this year. The parade will feature more than 70 units, including high school and community bands and cheer squads, elected officials, and civic and religious organizations. The 2020 honorary grand marshal is Raheem DeVaughn, three-time Grammy-nominated singer songwriter and international R&B star. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and Eutaw St. 12-2p.m. Free.
Clean Waterways: MLK Day of Service 2021 — Monday, January 18 10 am-1 pm
Bring in the new year with ARK with our annual MLK Day of Service cleanup! This collaborative event celebrates the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and the memory of Joseph Glover, Founder, and Chair of Pope Branch Park Restoration Alliance. Cleanup will follow DC COVID-19 guidelines. Rain or Shine. All supplies provided. Wear closed-toe shoes and clothing you can get dirty that will protect you from the brush.
The cleanup will be divided into sub-locations with groups of 25 people or less in compliance with COVID-19 safety guidelines.
This event is in partnership with the Pope Branch Park Restoration Alliance, and is done in support Colonial Pipeline, Nestle Deer Park, and various other community partners.
26th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Prayer Breakfast — Monday, January 18, 9 am-noon
You are cordially invited to attend the 26th Annual VIRTUAL Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Prayer Breakfast hosted by the Charles County NAACP and its Sponsors and Collaborators.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Lecture: featuring Eddie S. Glaude — Saturday, January 16, 1-2 pm
Author Eddie S. Glaude Jr. will talk about race today in America following the Trumpian era of shattered promises and white retrenchment. Mixing biography — drawn partially from newly uncovered interviews — with history, memoir, and trenchant analysis of our current moment, Begin Again is Glaude’s attempt, following Baldwin, to bear witness to the difficult truth of race. Eddie S. Glaude Jr. is the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor at Princeton University and author of Democracy in Black. In partnership with the Reginald F Lewis Museum and the Enoch Pratt Library.
More information
Jewish Volunteer Connection’s MLK Jr. Days of Service
Join JVC as they move forward Dr. King’s vision of the Beloved Community. Volunteers can engage virtually in provocative learning experiences and a variety of service projects from home, as well as meaningful and physically distanced volunteer projects in the community. By exploring service and racial justice through a Jewish lens, each participant will grow and connect in ways that will carry beyond this national day of service.
MLK Commemorative Film Screening — Sunday, January 17
Sponsored by the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture. Hear from Baltimore artists and activists whose work honors the legacy of Dr. King. The commemorative video also highlights past footage of Baltimore’s historic and beloved MLK parade.
The Art of Activism: Youth Activists Panel Discussion — Monday, January 18, 8-9 pm
2020 ignited a cultural revolution of youth activism. In commemoration of Martin Luther King’s birthday, join us for a powerhouse conversation as panelists discuss issues and themes related to MLK’s legacy, inequality, and social injustices. Writer Lisa Snowden McCray will serve as moderator. Panelists include: Destini Philpot & Micaela Lattimer, Good Kids, Made City, Destinae Butler, Baltimore’s Youth Poet Laureate, and Tia Thomas, Wide Angle Youth Media.
