Martin Luther King Day 2024 Events
Martin Luther King Day - Beyond the Dream

Martin Luther King Day 2024 Events

KALAMAZOO, Mich.— In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2024, the city of Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo Valley Community College, Western Michigan University and other entities will hold the following events and serving opportunities. Events are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted. Note that the MLK Day federal holiday is Jan. 15, 2024, but some events will be held before or after that date.

Every year, the community has enjoyed the convenience of going to a central webpage to learn about MLK Day programs, a service typically organized by local colleges. Kalamazoo Valley Community College is delighted to be coordinating the online communitywide calendar this time. Submit events at . Kalamazoo Valley invites all to its "MLK - Beyond the Dream: Beloved Community" lunch discussion on Feb. 1. Scroll down for details.

Visit https://www.kvcc.edu/mlkday/ regularly to check for new events, and please share the link with your contacts.

Schedule

Friday, Jan. 12, 2024
Noon - 2 p.m. | MLK Day Celebration 2024
Location: W.E. Upjohn M.D. Campus Auditorium, Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine, 300 Portage St., downtown Kalamazoo

  • A public event recognizing Jeff Patton, CEO of Integrated Services of Kalamazoo, a local organization that honors the dream through providing mental health and behavioral services to Kalamazoo County residents. Musical performance by Kalamazoo Central High School Student Choir; poetry reading by Denise Miller. Click here to RSVP. Event sponsor: WMU School of Medicine.

Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024
4 p.m. | 38th Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Annual Community Celebration
Location: Mt. Zion Baptist Church, 120 Roberson St., Kalamazoo

  • The Northside Ministerial Alliance presents its 38th Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Annual Community Celebration as the holiday to honor the civil rights champion is "Not just a Day of Service but a Commitment to Enforcing Justice." Guest speaker is Tim Terrentine. For more info, call 269.388-6227 or visit NMAKzoo.org.

Monday, Jan. 15, 2024
9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. | MLK Day of Communitywide Service
Location: Various

  • A Communitywide Day of Service is sponsored by the city of Kalamazoo and the Volunteer Center of Greater Battle Creek and Kalamazoo, in coordination with Gryphon Place. Volunteers can select a service project in advance through Gryphon Place. Click here. Free continental breakfast at Mayors Riverfront Park at 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 15, and T-shirts while supplies last. Must be 15 years or older, accompanied by an adult if under 18. For more info, contact Chad Wendt at wendtc@kalamazoocity.org.

Monday, Jan. 15, 2024
11 a.m. - 3 p.m. | Annual Teach-In: Chaos or Community?
Location: WMU Student Center

  • The annual MLK Teach-In at Western Michigan University involves four sessions and includes an exhibit about Malcolm X, curated by the Black History 101 Mobile Museum. Sessions are:
    • Session 1: Connecting Passion and Purpose
    • Session 2: The Unseen KING
    • Session 3: Student Panel Perspectives
    • Session 4: What side are you on?

Monday, Jan. 15, 2024
2:30 - 3:30 p.m. | A Conversation on Voting Rights
Location: Galilee Baptist Church, 1216 N. Westnedge Ave., Kalamazoo

  • Hear updates to Michigan's new voting rights laws during an informative hour of conversation, featuring Bishop Designate and Host Pastor Michael T. Scott Jr., NAACP Kalamazoo Branch President Wendy Fields, Michigan Secretary State Jocelyn Benson; and Co-President of the League of Women Voters-Kalamazoo Area Barb Dircks. The event is presented by the Galilee Baptist Church Social Justice Ministry in partnership with the Metropolitan Kalamazoo Branch of the NAACP.

Monday, Jan. 15, 2024
4 - 5:30 p.m. | Commemorative Walk and Wreath Laying Ceremony
Location: Metro Transit and MLK Jr. Memorial Park

  • Join the commemorative walk and the annual Wreath Laying Ceremony. Includes brief speeches on the impact and legacy of the teachings of Dr. King. Gather at Metro Transit, 530 N. Rose St. in downtown Kalamazoo. The procession is around the block and ending at Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Park, 507 N. Rose St. For more info, contact Chad Wendt at wendtc@kalamazoocity.org or 269.337.8042.

Monday, Jan. 15, 2024
6 p.m. | Chaos or Community: Let's Talk
Location: Miller Auditorium, Western Michigan University
*Free ticketed event

  • Dr. Ilyasah Shabazz, daughter of Malcolm X, headlines Western's MLK Celebration. She is author of five historical novels, project adviser for the PBS award-winning documentary, "Prince Among Slaves," and producer of a television series based on her latest publication, "The Awakening of Malcolm X," with Sony Pictures Television's TriStar. The event is free, but tickets required and available through the Miller Auditorium box office for pickup until the evening of the program. Click here for tickets.

Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024
Finding Hope the Radical Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King On Days Like This
4 p.m. | Workshop
7 p.m. | Keynote Lecture
Location: The Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership, Kalamazoo College, 205 Monroe St., Kalamazoo

  • The keynote and workshop are the reimagining of a love letter from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to young activists in celebration of your fight for a more just world. The presenter is Aja Denise Reynolds, Ph.D., an assistant professor of urban education and critical race studies in the Teacher Education Department at Wayne State University. Reynolds is a healer, activist, artist and educator. She is the legacy of Linda and the late Ralph Reynolds, a testament of her family's survival and resistance in the U.S. In the many roles she is positioned in, she is led by a Black feminist abolitionist spirit of care, collectivism and courage to confront systems of oppression. Her research interests are inspired by her ongoing relationships with Black girls to engage theories and practices in geography, education, youth development and social movements. Her collaborative engagement with Black girls focuses on creating "fugitive" or freedom spaces through the use of art, activism and healing. Her article "In The Wake: Black Girl Lessons on Collective Care" is her most current work that documents this labor of love. She was awarded the Emerging Scholar at the 2021 Critical Race Studies in Education Association conference. Additionally, she is part of national education networks, including a board member for the Education for Liberation Network, in which she organizes with teachers, youth and community organizations to develop justice-centered educational sites. For more info, call 269.337.7398 or email arcus.center@kzoo.edu.

Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024
3 p.m. | Symphony of Brotherhood: Honoring the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Location: Miller Auditorium, Western Michigan University
*Tickets must be purchased

  • The Kalamazoo Symphony is joined by the Kalamazoo Junior Symphony Orchestra, Kalamazoo Central High School singers and Loy Norrix High School choirs to raise their voices to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., with a spoken-word performance by Kandace R. Lavender. Regular-priced tickets start at $18, but discounted tickets below that amount available for teachers, active/retired military and government aid recipients. Click here to purchase tickets. For more info, call 269.250-6984 or email info@kalamazoosymphony.com.

Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024
Noon - 1:30 p.m. | MLK - Beyond the Dream: Beloved Community
Location: Kalamazoo Valley Community College, Texas Township Campus, Room 4240, Student Commons area

  • Kalamazoo Valley Community College invites the public to its lunch discussion exploring the theme of "MLK - Beyond the Dream: Beloved Community." In February 2023, the college asked attendees to define a "beloved community" and identify how their organizations work to serve our communities. Please join us in continuing this work on Feb. 1, 2024, to reflect upon and organize around the work that needs to be done to further create a beloved community in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Lunch is included, with spoken word by Kalamazoo Valley student Gracie Give. RSVPs are encouraged to Trice Batson, director of Valley's Office of Diversity and Inclusion, at tbatson@kvcc.edu, for planning purposes, but drop-ins are welcomed.

For more Kalamazoo Valley news and events, visit kvcc.edu.