Events scheduled throughout DFW to honor Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Throughout DFW many are taking time out to honor the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who would have turned 90 years old on Jan. 15. The city of Dallas has scheduled several events in addition to the popular parade on Monday. A few are listed below and more can be found here. Below are just a few events planned around the DFW area. Feel free to share more in the comments.

Dallas

The Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration: Candle Lighting Ceremony is Jan. 18 starting at 7 p.m. at Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, in Dallas. Alpha Sigma Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., hosts this annual event featuring a speaker, entertainment and announcement of the winners of the Dr. Martin Luther King Essay Contest. A candlelight procession concludes at the statue of Dr. King on the campus of the MLK Community Center.

The 36th Annual Black Music and the Civil Rights Movement Concert will take place on Jan. 20 starting at 7:30 p.m. at Meyerson Symphony Center, in Dallas. Moving tribute reflects on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and celebrates the struggles and triumphs of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. This year’s concert also pays homage to legendary soul singer and musical civil rights activist Aretha Franklin. The evening is a compilation of film footage, narration, music and dance and The Black Academy of Arts & Letters 150-voice concert choir.

Don’t miss out on the 37th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Weekend March and Parade on Jan. 21, starting at 10 a.m. at Fair Park, in Dallas. Celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day at a City of Dallas parade featuring colorful floats, marching bands, dance and drill teams, car clubs, community and civic groups, elected officials and more.

Parade route: Begins at MLK Blvd. at Holmes St., proceeds east on MLK Blvd. to Fair Park. After the parade, all are invited to the Realizing the Dream Expo at the African American Museum on the grounds of Fair Park. The family-friendly event includes health screenings, workshops, vendors, food, entertainment and giveaways.

 Symposium

The Dallas Institute’s 14^th Annual MLK Symposium’s keynote speaker is James Forman Jr., author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in America. He will speak on mass incarceration and its impact on people of color. The Symposium will include local panelists Brittany Barnett, Sharanda Jones, Joyce King, and Brian Williams, along with a dramatic performance by Akin Babatunde, and the music of Men in Worship ensemble.

The MLK, Jr. Symposium will be held on Monday, Jan. 21, 7 p.m. – 8:45 p.m. at Moody Performance Hall, 2520 Flora Street, Dallas. Tickets are $20. Free admission for Teachers and Students. Tickets can be purchased through dallasinstitute.org or by phone at 214-871-2440.

Final weekend for Jefferson exhibit in Dallas 

Attracting the largest crowds in the Museum’s 44-year history, the groundbreaking Slavery at Jefferson’s Monticello: Paradox of Liberty traveling exhibition at the African American Museum, Dallas, will close Monday, Jan. 21, on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Tickets – available at the door and online at MonticelloinDallas.com – are $10 for adults, $5 for seniors (65 and older) and children 4-12, and free for children 3 and under.

As part of the final weekend, the Museum also will present a symposium with African-American history scholars, followed by a panel discussion with eight descendants of the Jefferson and Hemmings families on Saturday, Jan. 19, from noon- 4 p.m. (scholars’ presentation from noon-2 p.m., and descendants discussion from 2-4 p.m.) Held at the Museum, the symposium is an additional charge of $10 per person, and seating is available on a first-come, first served basis.

Forum topics include “The Peculiar Institution in Texas” by Dr. W. Marvin Dulaney, Associate Professor Emeritus, University of Texas-Arlington, and “The Underground Railroad to Mexico” by Ms. Maria Esther Hammack, Ph. D. candidate at the University of Texas-Austin. Dr. Edward Gray, Ph.D. at SMU will be the moderator. The panel discussion with the descendants will be moderated by Dallas City Councilmember Kevin Felder.

SMU Unity Walk

In honor of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., SMU will hold its annual campus Unity Walk at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 23, to commemorate King’s core values – faith, education, nonviolence, love, leadership, community and hope.

During the Unity Walk, SMU President R. Gerald Turner and partner student organizations will hold posters that highlight quotes and values King emphasized. Turner and students will begin the commemoration with remarks in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center Ballroom, 3140 Dyer St. The brief campus walk will then begin at the south entrance of Hughes-Trigg Student Center, 3140 Dyer St., and conclude at the flag pole at the north end of Bishop Boulevard.

Irving

Each January the City of Irving holds a special event to recognize and appreciate the life and achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This annual observance takes place at the Irving Arts Center, and features a variety of music and dances performed by the Dallas Black Dance Theatre on Sunday, Jan. 20 at 6 p.m.

The City of Irving hosted an essay contest promoting the theme “United Together,” with three age categories: grades 3-5, grades 6-8 and grades 9-12. Judging was based on clarity, grammar and how well the theme was developed depending on the age of the writer. Winning essays will be read by their authors at the event.

The Luncheon Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. will be held on Jan. 21, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Georgia Farrow Recreation Center, in Irving. Celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at this free spaghetti luncheon provided by the Irving-Carrollton chapter of the NAACP. In addition to the luncheon, attendees will also hear from special guest speakers. All are welcome to this free event. For more information contact (972) 721-2519.

Fort Worth

In conjunction with MLK Service Project, I AM MLK, JR., Documentary will be held during MLK Weekend of Service on Jan. 19, at 10 a.m. at New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church, in Fort Worth. For more information contact Pastor Tatum at 817-966-7625 or  newmountrosefw@gmail.com. 

The 34th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Parade/March/Rally will be held on Jan. 21, at 11 a.m. starting at the corner of 9th Street and Commerce Street, in Fort Worth. A rally will follow in the plaza from approximately 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. For more information, please contact Roderick Miles Jr. at gfwmlkjrhc@yahoo.com or call 817-247-7964.

Don’t miss out on Jazz’in It Up On MLK Day as they unveil MLK Heritage Trail Marker on Jan. 21 at 9 a.m. at Main Street and 9th Street, in Downtown Fort Worth. The TCU Vocal Jazz Ensemble will be featured performers at the historic unveiling of the Heritage Trail Marker, in partnership with the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce Education Foundation. With the unveiling of the new MLK Heritage Trail Marker, Fort Worth will become the first city in the nation to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on Main Street. For more information contact Pastor Tatum at 817-966-7625 or newmountrosefw@gmail.com. 

Garland

The NAACP—Garland will host its 30th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade on Jan. 19 starting at 10 a.m. and will begin on Dairy Road at Garden Drive, near Embree Park, in Garland. Following the parade, the public is invited to attend a special MLK Commemorative Program at the Granville Arts Center, in Garland. On Jan. 20 the weekend celebration will continue at the  2019 Garland MLK Youth Extravaganza starting at 4 p.m. at the Granville Arts Center, in Garland. Youth groups from area churches and the Garland ISD will showcase their talents in praise dance, drill team and step routines. The MLK Commemorative Program and Youth Extravaganza are free and open to the public. For more information on these events read NDG’s story here.

Grand Prairie

The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade will be held on Jan. 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Grand Prairie City Hall, in Grand Prairie. The march begins at the Liberty Bell on City Hall Plaza and ends at Dalworth Recreation Center, 2012 Spikes St. For more information call  972-237-4760.