Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Metro Detroit

The entire country will come together to honor the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday, Jan. 15, and in the days before. The civil rights leader is honored every year on the third Monday to honor the impactful changes he pioneered, his monumental work on the civil rights movement, and his expansive community leadership.

King, who was assassinated on April 4, 1968, at the young age of 39, would have turned 94 on Jan. 15, 2024.

Each year on MLK Day, there are events held throughout metro Detroit cities and museums. Below you’ll find some of the events in the area.

Detroit

The 21st Annual Detroit MLK Day rally and commemorates Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. here in downtown Detroit. The event is Monday, January 15th 2023 at noon and begins at St. Matthew's & St. Joseph's Episcopal Church.

Southfield

The city of Southfield and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Task Force will host the 39th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Peace Walk Celebration on Monday, January 15 beginning at 9 a.m. at Hope United Methodist Church, 26275 Northwestern Highway. This year’s theme will be “Peace and Justice for the Next Generation.”

The peace walk will depart from Hope United Methodist Church at 9:00 a.m., followed by an 11 a.m. program at the Southfield Pavilion, located at 26000 Evergreen Road. The Keynote speaker of the event will be Ms. Kamilia K. Landrum, Executive Director of the Detroit Chapter of the NAACP. The program will also feature the singing of the Star-Spangled Banner by Tatum Payton of the Detroit Youth Choir and Lift Every Voice and Sing by Tylar Smith, Renaissance High School. A free International Taste Fest will be held immediately following the Program in the Southfield Pavilion.

Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History

Don't miss this incredible annual event, commemorating the life of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. hosted by the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and presented in partnership with Citizens Bank.

This annual event brings the community together to honor the legacy of Dr. King and promote dialogue, education, and action toward equality and social justice. The event comprises a variety of experiences and programming. This year, the event is featuring Jeanelle Ausin, Founder/ Executive Director of George Floyd Global Memorial

The Henry Ford

The museum has an entire exhibit dedicated to civil rights called “With Liberty and Justice for All.” Some of the highlights in the exhibition include the Rosa Parks Bus, and several items related to Martin Luther King, Jr. Those include a memorial button, posters, a record album, pins, and more.

The end of the Mandela: The Official Exhibition coincides with a weekend-long celebration of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. from Jan. 13-15, which includes a full lineup of onsite programming, living history demonstrations, guided tours, and more. Admission and parking to the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation are also free on Monday, January 15 in recognition of the celebrated day of service.

Let Freedom Ring - MLK Birthday Celebration

Rainbow PUSH will host "Let Freedom Ring," a free public event on Monday, January 15, 2024, at 5 pm at the historic Fox Theatre. The event will honor several luminaries whose deeds have exemplified the life of Dr. King.

The Let Freedom Ring recipients include Judge Greg Mathis and "Big Sean," who will be honored with the Keep Hope Alive Award; Bishop John Drew Sheard, presiding bishop of 6 million COGIC members, will receive the Theological Leadership Award; and Maha Freij, president and CEO of ACCESS and Amy Nederlander, co-founder of L!fe Leaders, will receive the Social Service Award.

MLK Day Virtual Community Conversation

The Western Michigan University-Cooley Law School is hosting a community conversation for MLK Remembrance on Tuesday, Jan. 16 with guest speaker, Dr. Joseph Silver Sr, who will speak on maintaining The vision of freedom, justice, and equality.

Clinton-Macomb Public Library

Children ages 3 to 12 are invited to this local library for a story and craft to celebrate the life and contributions of Martin Luther King Jr.

Watch Dr. King’s speech in Detroit

On June 23, 1963, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was in Detroit for “The Walk to Freedom” where he led more than 100,000 people down Woodward Ave. to the then Cobo Arena.

During a speech at the arena, King gave a speech that featured some portions of his “I Have a Dream” speech that would be given just over two months later during the March on Washington.

Some of the speech was recorded on a record, and you can hear the speech on YouTube.

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