“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” -Dr. Martin Luther King
On Thursday, Mayor LaToya Cantrell announced the city’s plans for celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. day. The theme for this year’s celebration is “Remember, Celebrate, Act.”
“We understand that it takes the work to get things done,” Mayor Cantrell said, “Dr. King surely demonstrated that in his life, and while we continue to have life, it is our utmost responsibility to continue to move our city forward.”
The agenda for the celebration is as follows:
Friday, January 11
- BAMM Cares – 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Vintage Arts Center, 4523 Magazine St.
Sunday, January 13
- Memorial Service – 1:30 p.m. Greater Liberty Baptist Church, 1230 Desire St.
Tuesday, January 15
- R.E.A.L. “Recreating the Environmental Ability to Live” Commemorative March – 10:00 a.m. beginning at A.L. Davis Park & pausing at MLK statue on S. Claiborne Ave.
- Wreath Laying Ceremony – Martin Luther King Jr. statue on S. Claiborne Ave (immediately following R.E.A.L. March)
- Educational Series I – 7:00 p.m. at Southern University of New Orleans Millie M. Charles School of Social Work, 6400 Press Drive.
Wednesday, January 16
- Educational Series II – 10:00 a.m. at Dillard University Professional Schools Building, 2601 Gentilly Blvd.
Thursday, January 17
- New Orleans Public Library Celebration – 10:30 a.m. at East New Orleans Regional Library, 5641 Read Blvd.
- United Teachers of New Orleans Choral Concert – 6:00 p.m. at McDonough 35 Preparatory High School, 4000 Cadillac St.
Saturday, January 19
- Rev. Avery C. Alexander Social Action Forum – 10:00 a.m. at Dryades YMCA, 2220 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd
- Day of Service – 10:00 a.m. at Bayou Bienvenue Wetland Triangle Lower 9th Ward Observation Deck, 2667 Caffin Ave. Register here.
- National Conference of Artists 21st MLK Exhibitions – 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at McKenna Museum of African American Art, 2300 Carondelet St.
- New Orleans MLK Student Art Exhibition – 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Rosa Keller Library Gallery, 4300 S. Broad St.
- Stella Jones Gallery – 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at 201 St. Charles Ave.
- Ashe Cultural ARts Center Powerhouse – 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at 1712 Oretha C. Haley Blvd.
Monday, January 21
- Opening Program – 9:00 a.m. at New Orleans Jazz Market. Speaker: The Honorable Marc H. Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League
- Official March – 10:00 a.m. beginning at Oretha Castle Haley Blvd. and ending at A.L. Davis Park
- “Remember, Celebrate, Act” MLK Day of Play – beginning after march and lasting until 3:00 p.m. at A.L. Davis Park
