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Where to Celebrate MLK Day in D.C.

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gives his "I Have a Dream" speech on the National Mall. (Photo: Public Domain)

By Tait Manning

Howard University News Service

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is Monday, Jan. 20. Whether you’re looking for an educational tour or a film showcase, celebrate the legacy of Dr. King with these six events.

The headliners for this year’s “Let Freedom Ring Celebration” (Photo: Kennedy Center)

Let Freedom Ring Celebration

7:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19, free

Ticket giveaway begins at 5:30 p.m.

Kennedy Center Concert Hall

This annual concert is organized as a part of Georgetown University’s MLK Initiative. This year’s “Let Freedom Ring Celebration,” hosted by Taye Diggs, features Christopher Jackson and esperanza spalding.

The ticket giveaway will begin at 5:30 p.m. Sunday at the Hall of Nations.

Film Screenings: “A Day of Reflection: Celebrating the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20, free

Busboys and Poets, 14th and V Streets

Busboys and Poets is hosting film screenings all day Monday to celebrate King’s life and legacy.

Each of the seven films documents a different aspect of King’s life, philosophy and leadership in the Civil Rights Movement.

 

The exhibit “Up From the People: Protest and Change in D.C.” (Photo: D.C. Public Library)

Exhibit Tour: “Up from the People: Protest and Change in D.C.”

12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24, free

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library

A guided tour of the exhibit “Up From the People: Protest and Change in D.C.” explores King’s connection to local activism and catalogs the District’s political and cultural history.

Tuesday Kanopy Matinee: “Move When the Spirit Says Move

2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 21, free

Woodridge Neighborhood Library

“Move When the Spirit Says Move: The Legacy of Dorothy Foreman Cotton” documents the life of the only woman on  King’s executive staff. The civil rights leader ran a Citizenship Education Program, which mobilized many African Americans into political action.

C.R. Gibbs Lecture Series: “Facing the Rising Sun: Dr. King and Africa”

6 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 21, free

Woodridge Neighborhood Library

This lecture explores King’s works against apartheid and colonialism.

 

The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial (Photo: Library of Congress).

Martin Luther King Jr Memorial – Meet with a Ranger

2 p.m. every Sunday and Saturday, free

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

Explore the history and architecture of the MLK Memorial with a guided, ranger-led tour.

Tait Manning is a reporter for HUNewsService.com.