For the last 40 years, the third Monday in January has been a national holiday honoring the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
King’s connection to the nation’s capital runs deep. On Aug. 28, 1963, a quarter of a million people gathered at the Lincoln Memorial to hear him deliver his “I Have a Dream” during the March on Washington. The speech is believed to have been written in the lobby of the historic Willard Hotel.
Less than two years later, King was back in D.C., sitting in the East Room of the White House as President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Johnson presented King with one of the ceremonial pens used in the signing.
Today, a short walk from Lincoln Memorial stands the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the Tidal Basin. It is the first memorial honoring an African American on the National Mall. The 30-foot-tall granite sculpture of King at 1964 Independence Avenue in Southwest sits among other influential U.S. figures: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Monday will offer several ways to honor the slain civil rights leader in the District.
The 21st annual MLK Holiday D.C. Peace Walk and Parade starts at 11 a.m. at Firth Sterling Avenue and Sumner Road in Southeast and goes to Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, ending on Marion Barry Avenue. Organizers said this year’s parade theme, which is also a wellness fair, is “The Struggle is Real! The Fight is Still!”
If you would rather celebrate inside, the National Museum of African American History and Culture will host a birthday party at 11 a.m. with creative crafts, balloon art, and a sing-along to Stevie Wonder’s “Happy Birthday” song. There will be live musical performances by Rex Carnegie and the House Band at 11:15 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. in Heritage Hall. While the event is free, you’ll need to RSVP.
The singing continues later in the day, starting at 6 p.m. at the Let Freedom Ring! Celebration at the Howard Theater, featuring rapper/actor Common.