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5 Ways to Celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Mosaic Templars Cultural Center - Tuesday, January 09, 2018
Observed the third Monday of January, this federal holiday celebrates the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This year, the holiday falls on Jan. 15, and we will be celebrating here at Mosaic Templars Cultural Center. We invite you to honor MLK Day in your own way or with an organized event near you. Check out our Top 5 ways to remember and honor Dr. King this year:
1. Visit the Daisy Bates House
Photo courtesy of the ArkTimes.com
Becoming a National Historic Landmark in 2001 was a drop in the bucket of this home's cultural, historical and national significance. When the home was built in 1955 by L.C. and Daisy Bates, they could have never imagined it would become the hub for the Little Rock Central High School crisis of 1957. Daisy and her husband were the owners and publishers of the Arkansas State Press, a publication which "championed the rights of nine black students to attend Central High School," according to the Bates Museum Foundation's website. This home housed many notable equal rights figures, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The Bates — and their home — were often under attack for their brave and public support of equal rights. Visit this museum and re-live a crucial moment in civil rights history.
2. Mega Kingfest (Arkansas Martin Luther King Jr. Commission)
The 2018 Mega Kingfest: "A Day of Service – A Day On, Not Day Off," hosted by the Arkansas Martin Luther King Jr. Commission, has been called the largest observance in the nation. In 2017, the event drew visitors from across the U.S., and this year's event is expected to do the same. This community outreach project will take place at the North Little Rock High School Performing Arts Center on Monday, Jan. 15, 2018, beginning at 1 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Learn more here.
3. Visit the Delta Cultural Center
A visit to the Delta Cultural Center in Helena will wrap you in the sights and sounds of the Arkansas Delta. A special section in the Delta Sounds highlights the legacy of gospel music. Gospel music is an art form born from the Delta, touching lives "regardless of age, race and background," according to the Delta Sounds webpage. The museum celebrates and preserves many aspects of African American history and culture in rural Arkansas.
4. Visit Central High School
Photo courtesy of LRSD.com
Schedule a tour of Central High School, a National Historic Site that preserves the legacy of the 1957 desegregation crisis and its role in the Civil Rights Movement. In 1957, nine black students enrolled at the formerly all-white Central High School. This was a crucial moment in U.S. history, testing a landmark 1954 U.S. Supreme Court ruling. According to History.com, in May 1958, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. attended graduation ceremonies at Central High School to see Ernest Green, the only senior among the Little Rock Nine, receive his diploma.
5. Join MTCC on MLK Challenge Day
"Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve," said Dr. King. MTCC's annual MLK Challenge gives teens the opportunity to continue the legacy of Dr. King through service. Join us as we gather at the museum and team up to volunteer across the city. Do your part to honor his legacy by continuing to serve your community. The event will be held on Jan. 15, 2018, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Mosaic Templars Cultural Center. Sign up here!
You don't even have to wait until the 15th to honor Dr. King at MTCC. Join us at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 13, for a free screening of "I Am Not Your Negro," provided by the Arkansas Educational Television Network. The film, an Oscar nominee for Best Documentary, envisions the book James Baldwin never finished. Raoul Peck's "I Am Not Your Negro" brings an "up-to-the-minute examination of race in America, using Baldwin's original words, spoken by Samuel L. Jackson, and with a flood of rich archival material." Click here for more information.
MTCC challenges local teens to carry on MLK's legacy
MTCC plans events for holiday season
MTCC starts collecting holiday gifts for needy children Nov. 4.
Mosaic Templars Cultural Center will open "Hateful Things" exhibit Sept. 19
Mosaic Templars Cultural Center hosts birthday bash for Smokey Bear
Gov. Hutchinson announces lead sponsor for MTCC Capital Campaign
MTCC announces programs for Black History Month 2019
Mosaic Templars Cultural Center to host free open mic poetry night Oct. 18
Mosaic Templars Cultural Center announces opening of AfriCOBRA art exhibit, celebration of 10th anniversary
Juneteenth 2018 lineup announced
African American Soldiers (1)
AHPP (1)
Corporate Campaign (1)
From the Director (2)
Juneteenth (2)
MLK Challenge (2)
Museum Store (3)
Robert "Say" McIntosh (6)
Say It Ain't Say's (6)
The Line (1)
Youth Events (6)
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Mosaic Templars Cultural Center (MTCC) is a museum of the Department of Arkansas Heritage dedicated to Arkansas' African American history and culture, including keeping alive the legacy of the Mosaic Templars of America and the historic West Ninth Street District. MTCC was founded as the Mosaic Templars of America Center for African American Culture and Business Enterprise under Act 1176 of 2001.
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