King Center MLK Day Activities | Full Schedule

ATLANTA -- A full slate of events and observances are already underway at the King Center in Atlanta, as the nation prepares to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on MLK Day, Jan. 21, 2019. Here is the King Center's 2019 schedule of holiday observances:

Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019

9:30 am-1:30 pm
The Kick-Off Reception serves as the opening event for the 2019 King Holiday Observance. The Dream Forward Community Service Awards will be presented in the following categories: social justice, media, faith, elected official and environmental responsibility.
Freedom Hall, The King Center

9:30 am-1:30 pm
Students with King –Celebrate Difference
The purpose for this youth initiative is to educate students about the national impact of Dr. King on the Civil Rights Movement and globally. They will be provided information on Dr. King’s Philosophy and Methodology of Nonviolence. This training is designed for middle school students of various ethnicities, cultures and economic backgrounds towards improving their leadership thought process.

Wednesday, Jan. 16, and Thursday, Jan. 17, 2019

Students with King, Yolanda D. King Theatre for the Performing Arts

Students with King gives students the opportunity to hear personal and interesting stories about the life of Dr. and Mrs. King, including the choices, decisions and experiences that shaped their development as young people and led to them becoming global leaders. Students from public, private and charter schools participate in this youth initiative that’s offered to elementary, middle and high school students throughout the school year at no cost to the students or schools.

Friday, Jan. 18, 2019

Noon-1:30 pm
Martin Luther King, Jr. Advisory Council
Georgia State Capitol – North Wing
The mission of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Advisory Council reaches beyond Atlanta, Georgia and calls on people worldwide to follow in the footsteps of Dr. King. Keynote Speaker: Shirley Franklin former mayor, City of Atlanta

Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019

6-9:30 pm
Annual “Salute to Greatness” Awards Gala
Christine King Farris Legacy of Service Award Honoree: Sherry Frank
Trumpet of Conscience Award Honoree: Senator John McCain
Dinner Co-Chair: Mr. Klaus Zellmer, President & CEO, Porsche Cars North America, Inc.
Dinner Co-Chair: Mr. Rodney Bullard, Chick-fil-A Foundation
Dinner Co-Chair: Ms. Helen Price Smith, The Coca-Cola Company

10 pm
Afterglow Celebration presented by Hyundai, Hyatt Regency Hotel

Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019

2-4 pm
We’ve Got Next: Turning Readers Into Leaders
The King Center – Freedom Hall
FREE and Open to the Public
Special Guests: Alice Faye Duncan – Author of Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop
R. Gregory Christie – Illustrator
We’ve Got Next: Turning Readers Into Leaders is designed to encourage youth, especially ages
8-12, to read in order to be inspired to lead. This interactive book event will feature book readings,
interactive activities and a book drive. During the event, there will be an opportunity to collect new and used books of all languages.

Monday, Jan. 21, 2019

10 am
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Annual Commemorative Service Ebenezer Baptist Church – Horizon Sanctuary Keynote Speaker: Mr. Bryan Stevenson, Founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative

1:45 P.M.
King Week Holiday March & Rally, FREE and Open to the Public

6 pm
Beloved Community Talks: Let’s Bridge The Racial Divide
The Yolanda D. King Theatre For The Performing Arts
FREE & Open to the Public
In keeping with Dr. King’s assertion that people are divided because they are disconnected, The King Center launched, via the Beloved Community Talks platform, its Let’s Bridge the Racial Divide campaign on the 2017 King Holiday Observance. The King Center will continue the campaign on the 2019 King Holiday and throughout the year.

The King Holiday Beloved Community Talks are comprised of three back-to-back conversational vignettes:

Bridging the Racial Divide: A Look at the NFL – Community Engagement and Social Responsibility
with Dr. Bernice A. King, CEO, The King Center; Brett Daniels, COO, Atlanta Super Bowl Host Committee (invited); and Former NFL Player Chris Draft

Bridging the Racial Divide: Your Influence and Your Voice with Brittany Packnett, activist, educator and writer; Attorney Jake Evans, Atlanta Young Republicans; Nick Dresselly Thomas, advocate for Hosteling International; Janelle Jones, Deputy State Director, Georgia GOP

Beyond the Racial Divide: A Journey to Reconciliation with former White Supremacist and neo-Nazi Michael Kent and probation officer Tiffany Whittier

Moderator: Actor, Terrence Jenkins (Terrence J)

(For more news like this, find your local Patch here. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here.)

Image provided by City of Round Rock; photo via New York Public Library Digital Collections