Alexandria’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Program returns this week, marking 53 years of city commemoration for the civil rights leader.
Guests can expect an evening of “delicious food, uplifting music, and speakers to honor the legacy of Dr. King,” according to the program website. A reception will be held from 5:30-6:20 p.m. on Thursday, and the program will run from 6:30-8 p.m. at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial (101 Callahan Drive)
This year’s theme is “Dawn of Justice and Hope.” The ceremony is free to attend, but guests are asked to register in advance online.
The city has honored King with a memorial program since Alexandria civic leader Alice P. Morgan founded the event in 1973.
“The program was endorsed by then Mayor Charles Beatley to be held on King’s birthday,” according to the event website. “This was a decade prior to President Ronald Reagan signing the holiday bill into law in 1983 and three decades prior to every state recognizing and celebrating Dr. King’s birthday as a National Holiday in 2000.”
Martin Luther King Jr. Day falls on Monday, Jan. 19 this year, prompting citywide government office closures. Numerous volunteering events are scheduled in Northern Virginia to honor his legacy.
On that day, the Alexandria Democratic Committee plans to volunteer at the Alexandria Community Shelter from 6:15-8 p.m., according to an event listing. Earlier in the day, Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail will host a day of service from 10 a.m. to noon to remove invasive plants near the National Landing area.
Additional MLK Days of Service are planned at the following locations in Arlington and Fairfax.
- Arlington: Washington-Liberty High School (1301 N. Stafford Street) from 8:30 a.m.-noon
- Fairfax: Northern Virginia Community College (8333 Little River Turnpike) from 9 a.m.-noon
This Wednesday, Volunteer Fairfax will host a community conversation about volunteerism featuring Tricia Allen, executive director of Alexandria-based Together We Bake. It will be led by Frederick J. Riley, executive director of The Aspen Institute’s Weave: The Social Fabric Project.
