Martin Luther King Jr. is an important American civil rights leader who is well-known for his campaigns and “I have a dream” speech.
YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smEqnnklfYs
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal holiday to honor his life. Martin Luther King Jr. Day originally began with a campaign for his birthday to become a holiday to celebrate his accomplishment. It is held on the third Monday of January every year.
Events in DC
Martin Luther King Memorial
The National Park Service will place a wreath in observance of the birthday-anniversary for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Direction: http://www.nps.gov/mlkm/planyourvisit/directions.htm
2013 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service
January 19, 2013. Major service events will take place across the country. Join a community service organization or create your own event to serve the DC community and make a difference.
Martin Luther King Jr. Parade
January 19, 2013, 11 a.m. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE and Milwaukee Place SE, Washington DC. The Anacostia parade/peacewalk includes the Ballou Marching Band and representatives from the area’s Asian, Bolivian, Jamaican and African American communities.
“Let Freedom Ring”
January 20, 2013, 6 p.m. at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The Kennedy Center and Georgetown University host a musical celebration featuring Smokey Robinson and the Let Freedom Ring Choir honoring Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy in a free Millennium Stage concert. Tickets are required and will be distributed the day of the event in front of the Concert Hall beginning at 4 p.m.
Lincoln Memorial
2013 Dates to Be Announced, 1:00 p.m. 23rd and Independence Ave., NW, Washington, DC. The National Park Service will place a wreath at the Lincoln Memorial, on the steps where Dr. King gave his 1963 speech. The recitation of the “I Have a Dream” speech will be presented by students of Washington, DC’s Watkins Elementary School.
