The Commercial Appeal - Go Memphis
FIVE WAYS TO OBSERVE MLK DAY IN MEMPHIS
John Beifuss
Memphis Commercial Appeal USA TODAY NETWORK – TENN.
Observed the third Monday of January each year since 1986, the Martin Luther King Jr. Day federal holiday has special significance in Memphis, the city that forever will carry the burden of being the place where the civil rights leader was murdered on April 4, 1968.
Home to the National Civil Rights Museum, an institution that incorporates the “hallowed ground” of
the Lorraine Motel where King was killed, Memphis typically makes a special effort to recognize King (who was born in 1929 on Jan. 15, which is why the holiday is in mid-january). Usually, the efforts involve both civic-sponsored and grassroots community celebrations: gatherings — including parades — of the type that emulate King’s role as an activist and organizer.
This year, however, COVID-19 precautions have put an end to most physical manifestations of “community.” Nevertheless, volunteer opportunities, organized in the spirit of King’s concern for humankind, are available, and some virtual events are planned.
Here’s a look at five ways to observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Fifth annual MLK Days of Service
Jan. 14-18: An event that invites participants to emulate King by working actively to improve their communities, Volunteer Memphis’ “Days of Service” initiative offers numerous opportunities for in-person and virtual volunteerism.
According to Andrea Hill, director of Volunteer Memphis, King’s “most persistent and urgent question is, ‘ What are you doing for others?’” Hill said volunteers completed more than 5,000 hours of service across 10 Mid-south counties in 2020.
Promoted with the slogan “Care Like King,” the listed service projects range from socially distanced outdoor cleanups to “virtual webinars” to help participants with their “financial literacy.” In other words, elbow grease (want to help make some masks?) and cerebral crease (want to help research African American history?) are equally valued.
Those interested in MLK Days of Service or other Volunteer Memphis events can learn more online at volunteermemphis.org.
‘King Day: A Virtual Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday’
Noon and 6 p.m. Monday: The National Civil Rights Museum is closed due to COVID-19 restrictions, but the institution will host a pair of “livestream” celebrations of the civil rights leader’s life and legacy that have been geared to appeal to people of all ages, with a “Storytime” reading from the children’s picture book “My Uncle Martin’s Big Heart,” and scholarly insight into King provided by Dr. Hasan Jeffries of Ohio State University, editor of “Understanding and Teaching the Civil Rights Movement.” Musicians Garry Goin, Tyke T, Karen Brown and Adajyo will be among the musical performers.
Visit civilrightsmuseum.org.
MLK Day ‘Parade’
11 a.m. Monday: With the COVID-19 pandemic making public gatherings unwise and impractical, this year’s 36th annual “parade” will be a virtual event — a procession of speakers rather than of marchers and a display of ideas instead of banners.
“This is the first year there will not be a physical parade,” said James E. Jones III, president of Teamsters Local 667, the labor union that coordinates the parade along with AFSCME Local 1733, the trade union — formally known as the Association of Federal, State, County and Municipal Employees — that includes the sanitation workers whose fight for dignity and improved wages and working conditions brought King to Memphis in 1968.
“There was never really a thought of not recognizing Dr. King and him coming here and the things he achieved, it was more, ‘How do we proceed?’” Jones said. “We’ve marched in the snow, in the ice, in the freezing cold and sometimes
in halfway decent weather and all of that, but it would have been totally irresponsible to have an actual parade with everything (coronavirus infections) spiking back up.”
Roughly an hour in length, the “parade” will essentially be a streaming tribute to King’s legacy in Memphis, where his mission and the union agenda united in a fight for “livable wages, better benefits, overall equality and better treatment of everybody — which really epitomizes everything Dr. King stood for. We really need this message right now, with all this dissension going on.”
Jones said footage from 1968 will be included alongside new testimonials by various community and labor leaders, plus an interview with Elmore Nickleberry, one of the last surviving participants in the sanitation strike.
To access the “parade,” visit the local Teamsters Facebook page.
Mid-south Food Bank Volunteer Day
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday: “Join the Mid-south Food Bank as we honor the service of Martin Luther King Jr. by serving our communities” begins this invitation to volunteers who would like to work a morning or afternoon shift — “in small groups, wearing masks and gloves and taking all necessary precautions” — to help sort and pack food for distribution to food drives and pantries.
For more information, visit midsouthfoodbank.org.
Memphis Grizzlies vs. the Phoenix Suns
4 p.m. Monday: The Grizzlies’ hosting of the NBA’S MLK Day game is always highlight of the season; but with no fans allowed into the game due to the pandemic, this year’s event will be a relatively subdued affair. Nevertheless, those watching the game at home on TNT or Fox Sports Southeast cable channels should expect to see some tributes to King. And viewers who really want to see how King’s legacy of activism has been adopted within the sports world should tune in to Fox Sports at 2:30 p.m. Monday for the telecast of the Earl Lloyd Sports Legacy Symposium, which will feature this year’s recipients of the 16th annual National Civil Rights Museum Sports Legacy Awards, including 10-time All-star shooting guard Ray Allen; point guard turned broadcast analyst Kenny Smith; and veteran power forward and WNBA Players Association president Nneka Ogwumike.