Here’s how to honor his legacy this week.
Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – a.k.a. MLK Day. You may be off work today, chillin’ in your bathtub reading this, or maybe you’re taking a break during your shift or morning errands to scan your emails. Either way, here’s what you need to know about MLK Day.
🎂 It’s always on the third Monday of Jan. in celebration of MLK Jr.’s birthday, Jan. 15.
📆 It was created in 1983 when a bill was passed to make MLK Jr.’s birthday a national holiday – 15 years after his assassination.
📆 It began being officially observed in 1986, 3 years after the passing of said bill. That makes this the 35th year of celebrating the holiday.
📜 But S.C. was the last state to sign a bill recognizing MLK Day as a paid holiday in 2000 – the same year the Confederate flag was moved from the State House dome to the grounds out front.
🕯 The first celebrations on Jan. 20, 1986 consisted of marches, candlelight vigils, concerts, readings, church services + teach-ins, held across the country.
👐 Since 1994, MLK Day = a national day of service – spent volunteering, giving back + donating to the community.
📆 This year marks the 50th anniversary of King’s assassination.
📍 King’s hometown is not far from ours – he’s from Atlanta, Ga.
Want to celebrate here in Cola?
Here are a couple of ways to honor MLK Jr.’s memory this week:
Today | Monday | Jan. 15
- Give back by helping clean up the rivers with Congaree Riverkeeper (10 a.m.-1 p.m.; waders + gloves provided) or painting at Poinsett State Park, or entering a PB&J-making competition with United Way. 🍞
- Head to the Vista or go DT for the City’s MLK Parade from 9:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m. 🎉
- A wreath laying ceremony led by the members of the Alpha Psi Lambda and Omicron Iota Lambda chapters of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity will take place at 3 p.m. on the corner of Greene + Harden St.
- Hear Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis, Benedict College’s first female president, speak at the 30th annual MLK celebration, 4 p.m. at Martin Luther King, Jr. Park in Five Points.
- Get free admission all day at Columbia Museum of Art on Main St. Galleries open at 11 a.m. 🖼
- Continue celebrating the arts + the American dream with FAAAC’s In Celebration of Dreamers at Columbia Museum of Art, 12-3 p.m. This free drop-in is the premiere of bridge/refrain, a short film on a young woman’s experiences of being black in America, that will run through Feb. 25 at the museum.
Thursday | Jan. 18
- UofSC begins their 35th annual MLK celebration with events + volunteer opportunities throughout the week – including UofSC School of Law’s free film screening of “Rikers: An American Jail,” at 6 p.m., followed by a panel discussion ft. WIS’ Judi Gatson. 📽
Friday | Jan. 19
- Hear from the first African-American student to be admitted to UofSC in 1963 at the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration Breakfast, 7:30 a.m. at “The Zone” at Williams Brice Stadium. Purchase tickets ($5-10) at the Koger Center. 🍳
Saturday | Jan. 20
- Gather at Davis Field on Greene St. (by the reflection pool in front of Thomas Cooper Library) to volunteer in UofSC’s day of service, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Sunday | Jan. 21
- See performances by local schools + universities at “Freedom Rings: An artistic celebration of the life of Dr. Martin L. King Jr.,” 6:00 p.m. at the Koger Center ($10).
We hope you have a peaceful Monday and take time to be thankful for the sacrifices of Martin Luther King, Jr. and others like him who have made strides in history, to help better tomorrow.
I also want to introduce two new names you’ll be seeing soon: Nicole and Lauren, our Spring editorial interns, who officially start today. We’re so glad to have them on our team. Look forward to hearing from them in the coming weeks.
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