MOLINE, Ill — Martin Luther King Jr. Day is just a few days away on Monday, Jan. 16, and there's plenty of events happening around the Quad Cities to honor one of our nation's greatest leaders.
Here's a list of celebrations, lectures and other events dedicated to honoring the legacy of civil rights leader Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
40th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Service & Awards
The Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center is hosting the 40th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Service & Awards. The event will be in-person and will also be streamed on Facebook and YouTube starting at 10:30am on Monday, January 16th.
This year's theme is, "Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle."
The keynote speaker will be Dr. LaDrina Wilson. The program will include a variety of performances and presentations in honor of Dr. King, and two scholarships will be awarded. The “I Have A Dream” Award will be presented to a Rock Island citizen for exemplary community service and enormous contributions made to the community.
A recording of this event will be available afterwards on the center's Facebook page, website, and YouTube channel.
Augustana MLK Day Webinar
Augustana College will celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a virtual keynote by Dr. Bernard Lafayette Jr. at 10:30 a.m. on Jan. 16, 2023.
Dr. Lafayette will speak on the theme of "Nonviolence in a Time of Civil Unrest: Yesterday and Today." His talk will be hosted on Zoom and is free and open to the Augustana community and the public. Access the webinar here: Dr. Lafayette webinar.
As a 20-year-old student, Dr. Lafayette was one of the original Freedom Riders. From May until November 1961, the Freedom Riders deliberately violated Jim Crow Laws as more than 400 Black and white Americans risked their safety by traveling together on buses and trains and were met by bitter racism and mob violence.
Clinton Community College MLK Day Event
On Sunday January 15th, the community-wide annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration will be held from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. at Clinton Community College, 1000 Lincoln Blvd, Clinton IA, in the auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.
This year marks the 35th year of the community-wide celebration. “The committee strives to bring to fruition an event that is filled with fellowship, music, and inspiration for participants to continue to be stewards for Dr. King’s legacy of non-violence, equality, peace, and justice while Living Peace 365,” said MLK Committee member Mardell Mommsen Flippen. “We hope community members will come out to join us in this celebration of the life of Dr. King.”
Featured at this year’s celebration will be spoken word poetry by Victoria Thomas. Ms. Thomas is the daughter of Wanda and Haydn Thomas and the granddaughter of the late former Mayor LaMetta Wynn.
The 20th Annual MLK Peace and Justice Award will be presented to Scott Stubblefield. In addition to Stubblefield, the late Rev. Lionel Davis and Lydia Halbach will be honored posthumously as Legacy Peace & Justice honorees. Along with music and fellowship, the event will feature blessings from the following faiths: Baptist, Catholic, Islamic followed with a re-enactment of a freedom walk throughout the halls of Clinton Community College.
WIU MLK Week of Service
To commemorate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Western Illinois University is hosting a Week of Service from Monday, Jan. 16 to Friday, Jan. 20.
Events scheduled as part of this year’s celebration include:
Monday, Jan. 16: Macomb’s annual community MLK march will begin in downtown Macomb, and will end at the Mt. Calvary Church of God in Christ.
9 a.m. - All participants will line up downtown Macomb.
9:15 a.m. - The march will begin.
9:45 a.m. - A reception will be held at Mt. Calvary Church of God in Christ.
11 a.m. - WIU President Huang will speak before the Hon. Pamela Davidson gives a keynote address.
Tuesday, Jan. 17- Thursday, Jan. 19: WIU Union - An information table and banner signing will be displayed to promote unity.
Thursday, Jan. 19: Volunteers will work with the Good Food Collaborative organization from the WIU Student Volunteer Service.
Friday, Jan. 20: 12-1:30 p.m., in the Multicultural Center- “Words Matter, Actions Matter,” sponsored by the WIU Peace Corps and MCC. Light refreshments will be provided at this event.
For more information, visit wiu.edu/purplepost.
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