
Michelle Dahlke and her son, Ashton Dahlke, 4, watch a band during the MLK Day parade, Monday, Jan. 21, 2013 in Mesa, Ariz. The nation honored civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Here are six upcoming events in the Valley that celebrate MLK Day.
Every year, cities and communities in Arizona gather to celebrate the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and his legacy.
The US hasn’t fully realized his ideals of a post-race America, but we still honor him and all the work he did to bring us to the point we’re at today.
In 1968, King was fatally shot in Memphis, where he was supporting Black city sanitation workers who were on strike.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day was made into a federal holiday in 1983 when former President Ronald Reagan signed it into law. It was first observed as a federal holiday in 1986.
Former Arizona Gov. Bruce Babbitt, a Democrat, made MLK Day a state holiday through executive order in 1986. Former Arizona Gov. Evan Meacham, a Republican, reversed that executive order when he took office the following year.
Arizonans voted down ballot measures in 1990 that would have reinstated the state holiday. After boycotts from the NFL and popular musicians, Arizonans voted to make MLK Day a state holiday in 1992.
Here are six upcoming events that celebrate the iconic figure:
Chandler Multicultural Festival
Dr. AJ Chandler Park
Saturday, Jan. 18
11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
It’s the 30th year of the Chandler Multicultural Festival. It’s not specifically a Martin Luther King Day event, but it is about the city’s cultural diversity. The Friends of the Chandler Public Library started the event in 1995 to bring the community together so everyone can learn about each other’s cultures.
The festival will have over 20 food and drink trucks and over 30 merchandise booths that are run by people celebrating dozens of different cultures.
There will be Asian, European, South American, African American, and Caribbean cuisine, plus performances from a variety of artists.
Entry to the event is free.
Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration
Centennial Plaza, Peoria
Saturday, Jan. 18
3 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Peoria’s MLK Jr. Community Celebration honors the reverend’s dream of a “beloved community,” according to the city.
The event will have booths from local nonprofits and service organizations, live music, a live mural painting, and food trucks serving complimentary small bites.
MLK Jr. Day of Celebration and Service
Willow Canyon High School, Surprise
Saturday, Jan. 18
8 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Surprise’s annual day of celebration and service is a way to celebrate and give back to the community.
Volunteers can check in at 8 a.m. and get free breakfast if they’re one of the first 500 volunteers. The celebration program starts at 9 a.m., and service projects run from 10 a.m. until noon.
The service projects include:
- Assembling feminine hygiene kits
- Assembling food kits for a food bank
- Assembling hydration kits for homeless outreach
- Assembling school supplies in backpacks
- Working on projects benefiting troops
We Still Believe in the Dream March & Festival
Monday, Jan. 20
March:
East Lake Park, Phoenix
9 a.m. – 10 a.m.
Festival:
Margaret T. Hance Park, Phoenix
10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
The march goes from East Lake Park to Margaret T. Hance Park, where there will be live entertainment and food stands. Entry to the event is free.
Information on all the event’s vendors isn’t immediately available, but the event is sponsored by the cCity of Phoenix, the Phoenix New Times, and Phoenix Suns, among others.
“This event emphasizes the importance of diversity, inclusion, and equity in moving communities forward and offers a unique opportunity for residents of all ages to engage and participate,” according to the event’s website.
Mesa-East Valley MLK Day Parade & Festival
Monday, Jan. 20
Parade:
MLK Way & Center Street, Mesa
11 a.m.
Festival:
The Plaza at Mesa City Center
12 p.m. – 4 p.m.
The Mesa-East Valley MLK Day Parade & Festival’s theme this year is “Building Bridges: Cultivating our Community.”
“This event will honor King’s legacy by highlighting the power of unity, inclusion, and community growth,” the event said on its website
The festival will have local businesses and food vendors.
The Sidney Poitier New American Film School at ASU will have a showing of the film “Selma” nearby at 1 p.m. “Selma” is a biopic that details King’s march from Selma to Montgomery in Alabama across the Edmund Pettus Bridge.
MLK March on West
Wednesday, Jan. 22
Arizona State University West campus, Glendale
9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
The MLK March on West has been running since 1991. The free in-person event will have presentations about the history of the civil rights movement, music, and a rendition of the “I Have a Dream Speech” delivered by ASU instructor Charles St. Clair.
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