Monday, January 20th marks the federal holiday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day as well as the Presidential Inauguration Day.
Martin Luther King Jr.’s actual birthday was on January. 15th, however the holiday honoring the civil rights icon is observed on the third Monday of every January each year.
This year marks the second time Inauguration Day and MLK Day is observed on the same day, with the other being President Bill Clinton’s second inauguration in January 1997.
Dr. King was a key figure and spokesman in the Civil Rights Movement, and received the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize for combating racial inequality through nonviolence. The campaign for a federal holiday in King’s honor began soon after his assassination in 1968. President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law in 1983 – it was officially observed in all 50 states for the first time in 2000.
The civil rights leader is celebrated around the country and in Los Angeles:
In May 1964, Martin Luther King Jr. passionately and persuasively addressed 15,000 Angelenos at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on the issues of race relations and human dignity. In 1994, Congress passed the King Holiday and Service Act, which transformed Martin Luther King Jr. Day into a national day dedicated to volunteer service in honor of Dr. King’s legacy.
L.A. Works will continue its long tradition of honoring Dr. King’s legacy with the MLK Day Volunteer Festival: Take Action to Support our Beloved Community. Taking place at the Coliseum from 12:30 to 3:30pm, this event will feature hands-on activities for participants to address needs within the areas of health equity, food insecurity, STEAM education and more.
Taking place on Monday, January 20 from 10am to 3:30pm, King Day at CAAM is “a day on, not off!” Come together and honor Martin Luther King Jr. with a performance by the Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles, discussions with the King Study Group, family activities, food trucks and more. Free with RSVP at Eventbrite.
This year, CAAM has added a book donation drive in support of the Little Free Library at the Crenshaw Family YMCA. Guests are invited to donate children’s books—new or gently used—that can inspire, educate, and entertain young readers and foster a love for reading in the children in the community. Picture books, early readers, and chapter books are all welcome! Donations can be dropped off at the museum throughout the day-long festivities.
- The 2025 Martin Luther King, Jr. Beloved Community Commemorative Service will be in-person at Ebenezer Baptist Church and will broadcast live on FOX 5 Atlanta. It will also stream live on Facebook, YouTube, and thekingcenter.org, on Monday, January 20th from 9:00 AM-11:00 AM EST. The 56th Annual Commemorative Service is the hallmark of the King Holiday Observance. Reverend Natosha Reid Rice and Pastor Reginald W. Sharpe, Jr. will preside over the service. Rev. Dr. Bernice A. King, The King Center CEO, will give the Call to Commemoration. This year’s Keynote Speaker is Rev. Dr. Willam J. Barber. The service will feature special musical performances by Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Mark Gutierrez, The McClain Sisters, Natalie Grant, and Tye Tribbett.
- The Beloved Community Empowerment Fair will be in-person on January 20th in The King Center’s Yolanda D. King Theatre from 11:00 AM-3:00 PM EST. It is a free, interactive event, providing career development, financial literacy, and health and wellness resources. For more information, visit thekingcenter.org.
- The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday March and Rally is also Monday, January 20th Participants will assemble at 1:30 PM EST on the corner of Baker & Peachtree Street in downtown Atlanta, GA. The march begins at 1:45 PM EST and ends on Auburn Avenue in front of The King Center, where there will be a rally. For more information visit the March Committee’s website, www.mlkmarchcommittee.com.
