Honoring Dr. King will go virtual this year, from parades to Kamala Harris presentation
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is known as a day of service.
In fact, it’s the only national holiday designated as a national day of service, to reflect King’s legacy as a religious leader, educator and civil rights leader.
And while things have changed this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations, schools and other groups are finding ways to honor King, whose birthday was Jan. 15, 1929. He would have turned 92.
“Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had an immeasurable and major impact on our country, pursuing racial and social justice. His legacy continues to inspire subsequent generations of future leaders as we continue to fight to end racial injustice,” said Opa-locka Commissioner John Taylor Jr.
Opa-locka will host a virtual discussion to talk about King’s legacy.
Taylor also said the discussion “will allow us the opportunity to have a positive impact on the City of Opa-locka, as well discuss the importance of this very important day in America and throughout the world.”
Here are other events in South Florida that will celebrate King’s legacy:
Miami-Dade
▪ Coral Gables Art Cinema, 260 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables, will show limited, socially distanced screenings of “MLK/FBI” from Friday, Jan. 15, to Sunday, Jan. 17, in-person only. The film details the FBI’s surveillance of King. Tickets can be bought here.
▪ Kimpton Hotels in Miami, working with the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, will host pop-up art exhibits by Black artists to commemorate Martin Luther King Day. Four hotels will host different artists from Friday to Sunday. Annick Duvivier will show her work at the EPIC Hotel, 270 Biscayne Blvd. Way, and will be there from 5 to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Sona (Sophia Wong) will show her work at Palomar South Beach Hotel, 1750 Alton Rd., Miami Beach, and will be there from 5 to 6 p.m. Friday. Marcus Blake will show his work at Surfcomber Hotel, 1717 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, and will be there from 5 to 6 p.m. on Friday. This exhibit will continue through the end of February in honor of Black History Month. Zeek Mathias will show his work at Anglers Hotel, 660 Washington Ave., Miami Beach, and will be there from 5 to 6 p.m. Friday.
▪ The City of Opa-locka will host a Dr. Martin Luther King 2021 virtual discussion at 10 a.m. Saturday on the city’s Facebook page. Taylor and former Commissioner Joseph Kelley will host the discussion.
▪ 5000 Role Models will hold its 28th Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Breakfast at 9 a.m. Monday, although this year it will be virtual. Among the speakers will be Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution Lonnie Bunch III, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Attorney Benjamin Crump and Florida Lottery Secretary John Davis. Event information can be found at www.5000mlk.com.
▪ The Liberty City Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade will be shown live on Local 10 News’ website and TV station. It has already been prerecorded, Local 10 reported, and it will air at 1 p.m. Monday. The live parade has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
▪ Several police departments across Miami-Dade County will be hosting the One Miami, One Band, One Sound Community Mass Bike Ride. The bike ride will begin at 8:30 a.m. Monday at Charles Hadley Park, 1350 NW 50th St. Face masks are required for all attendees. The Miami-Dade County Community Relations Board’s Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Committee is partnering with agencies to host the event.
▪ The Bethel Apostolic Temple Food Pantry, the Bethel Temple Community Development Corp. and Feeding South Florida will host a Drive-thru Free Food Giveaway that will go from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday at Bethel Apostolic Temple, 1855 NW 119th St. The giveaways on the first and third Monday of each month will continue. Attendees are asked to stay in their cars and open their trunks to volunteers.
Broward
▪ The City of Plantation will hold a virtual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration, with speeches and musical performances on Saturday. The event, which will be aired at 8 a.m. on the City of Plantation Parks & Recreation YouTube channel and on @PlantationParks Facebook page, will also feature Poet Jerris Evans. For more information, call 954-585-2344.
▪ HandsOn Broward, a nonprofit organization, will host the Martin Luther King Jr. Virtual Day of Service 2021. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, there will be five different sessions via Zoom focusing on hunger, sustainability, financial literacy, teen volunteers and animal welfare. For more information, visit handsonbroward.org.
▪ The City of Tamarac will hold a virtual presentation featuring Broward Circuit Judge George Odom Jr., who will speak about “Keeping Your Eyes On The Prize,” at 10 a.m. Monday. To register visit city-of-tamarac-mlk-day-event.eventbrite.com. For more information, call 954-597-3674.
▪ The City of Miramar will hold a car parade caravan on Monday beginning at the Multi Service Complex, 6700 Miramar Pkwy. Line-up will begin at 8:30 a.m. and the caravan will depart at 10 a.m. A limited number of residents can join in a first-come, first-served basis. To participate, call 954-602-3178 or reach out to Vice Mayor Maxwell Chambers’ office at 954-602-3154. Residents can also be a spectator along the parade route, which will include Sherman Circle.
▪ The City of Hollywood’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts is holding an MLK Day Video Contest. The department is asking the community to use video-sharing apps including YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, to create a video of an original poem, spoken word passage, or showing an act of service. Participants must complete the online registration before Monday, Jan. 25. Once registered, there will be an email with instructions to submit a video by Feb. 1. A committee will review the videos and select the top three entries for each category. For more information, visit the Special Events web page or call the Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts at 954-921-3404.
▪ Fort Lauderdale United Day will be Monday at L.A. Lee YMCA Family Center, 408 NW 14th Terrace. Volunteers, who must adhere to COVID-19 protocols, will do a neighborhood cleanup. Sign-in begins at 8:30 a.m. and the cleanup will be from 9 to 11 a.m. For information, contact Jorg Hruschka, chief service officer, at 954-828-5568 or email jhruschka@fortlauderdale.gov.
This story was originally published January 15, 2021 at 6:00 AM.
