January 18th is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Home » January 18th is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
January 15, 2021
Edward Smith

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15, 1929.  We celebrate his birthday on the Monday closest to that day.  He was assassinated on April 4, 1968.  During his lifetime, Dr. King received a Ph.D. in Theology from Boston University. He was a Baptist minister and civil rights activist and continues to be the most well-known leader of the mid-20th-century civil rights movement.  His activism was inspired by his Christian belief system and the nonviolent approach of activist Mahatma Gandhi. 

Dr. King led peaceful marches and participated in many others as he sought to establish the right for Black Americans to vote, as well as for labor rights, desegregation, and other basic civil rights. He was the first president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), under which he organized some of the 1963 Birmingham, Alabama protests.  During the March on Washington in 1963, he gave his famous I Have a Dream speech on the Lincoln Memorial steps.

Watch the YouTube video from The History Channel documenting Dr. King’s most famous speech.

Events Commemorating MLK

Usually, there are a number of local and national events held in honor of Dr. King on or around his birthday.  This year, due to the pandemic, there are still celebrations, but adaptations have been made.

Sacramento Local Event

On Saturday, January 23, 2021, at 5:00 p.m., the 22nd Annual Sacramento MLK Celebration Event will be held virtually.  There is no charge for this event, and it is open to the public.

Every day people throughout the Sacramento community are working to achieve elements of Dr. King’s vision.  The MLK Committee in Sacramento has, for the past 21 years, hosted an event in tribute to MLK’s life and legacy.  This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the MLK Celebration will be held via Zoom.  The event will include the following:

  • Recognition of the winners of the MLK Essay contest
  • Panel discussion with the President of Sacramento State University, Robert Nelsen
  • Panel discussions with City of Sacramento Councilmember Eric Guerra and the CEO of the Sacramento Urban League, Cassandra Jennings
  • Entertainment

National Events

The group “March for the Dream” encourages those who are interested to invite someone from another race, cultural background, or religion to go for a socially distanced walk and talk.

AmeriCorps will be observing the 26th anniversary of its MLK Day of Service to celebrate the civil rights leader’s legacy.  AmeriCorp recognizes the national holiday as not a day off but a “day on,” in which Americans are encouraged to participate in volunteer opportunities that will benefit their communities.

Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer

Hello, and thanks for visiting our blog. I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento, California personal injury attorney.  For more than 38 years, I have been advocating on behalf of injured residents of Sacramento, and all of Northern California.  It is not always easy to figure out what to do following a car accident.  The legal process can be confusing and frustrating.  If the accident caused injuries, the focus should be on healing and recovery rather than dealing with insurance adjusters.  The injury lawyers at my firm are readily available to provide compassionate, free, and friendly advice if you or a loved one has been injured due to negligence.  If appropriate, we can then set up a no-obligation consultation to go over your potential case.  Our local phone number is (916) 921-6400.  If your phone is from outside the regional area code, please call on our toll-free line: (800) 404-5400.  We also provide a link on our website through which you can contact us online

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Photo Attribution: https://pixabay.com/illustrations/leadership-qualities-2120718/

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