Honoring Martin Luther King Jr. Around the Globe

Honoring Martin Luther King Jr. Today, we celebrate and honor one of the greatest civil rights heroes of all time, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

King would have turned 91-year-old this year on his birthday January 15th. He is known as an activist for equal rights for African Americans.

In his work, he organized boycotts and rallies but more importantly, he encouraged non-violent protests. King led the most memorable march in 1963 in Washington, where he gave his “I Have a Dream” speech on the stops of the Lincoln Memorial.

In 1968, King was assassinated by James Earl Ray in Memphis, Tennessee.

Here’s how people around the world are honoring his legacy on this special day.

Baltimore, Maryland

The MLK Parade will happen again this year for the 20th time. The parade includes bands, floats, step teams, color quarts, and includes political and civil leaders in the country. The parade will make it’s way to Baltimore’s Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard where he will be honored.

Washington D.C

The Kennedy Center will honor the preacher, author, and activist with a feature of films as part of the MLK Day film program. A feature of films drawn from writings of American novelist, James Baldwin will be showcased here.

Kevin Durant MLK Classic

NBA star, Kevin Durant plans to mesh culture and basketball in the Kevin Durant MLK Classic. This basketball tournament will provide student-athletes with community engagement and educational experiences in celebration of the great civil rights leader.

Pennsylvania

Tonight, the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will be celebrated by the Penn State community at the 35th annual MLK Commemoration at University Park. This event is held by students and will feature speakers such as Symone D. Sanders and Bakari Sellers later on in the week.

San Diego

The 40th annual Martin Luther King Jr. parade took place just yesterday by Zeta Sigma Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity – the fraternity in which King was a member of. The parage included floats, bands, drill teams, and much more!