Martin Luther King Jr. Day is approaching, and people across the nation are busy making final preparations for special events. Held annually on the third Monday of January, MLK Day marks the birthday of Dr. King. However, the federal holiday also celebrates the life and legacy of this influential civil rights leader. Although events in 2018 in observing MLK 50 were profoundly significant, this year’s holiday is also important. Indeed, it marks the 25th anniversary of the MLK Day of Service, a day of volunteer service across the country.
Places to Honor Martin Luther King Jr.
Lincoln Memorial
Two Lincoln Memorial Circle NW
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 426-6841
www.nps.gov
Hours: The Lincoln Memorial is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Park rangers are on duty daily from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
The steps of the Lincoln Memorial will be viral over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. That’s because people can relive the moment Dr. King gave one of his most enduring speeches, forever known as the “I Have a Dream” speech. Held on August 28, 1963, Dr. King spoke to an estimated crowd of 250,000 after the conclusion of the landmark March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The “I Have A Dream” speech was the top-ranked speech of the 20th century, and the event contributed to the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964. The event also helped Dr. King earn the Nobel Prize in 1964. The nearby Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial immortalizes Dr. King and an essential part of this speech – “out of a mountain of despair, a stone of hope.”
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Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial
1964 Independence Ave. SW
Washington, DC 20024
(202) 426-6841
www.nps.gov
Hours: The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Park rangers are on duty daily from 9:30 a.m. to 10 pm p.m.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial is a stunning granite sculpture created by Chinese artist Lei Yixin. Located a half mile from the Lincoln Memorial in West Potomac Park, the Memorial’s centerpiece is a 30-foot tall sculpture of Dr. King emerging from two other granite structures behind it. The three sculptures represent “out of a mountain of despair, a stone of hope” inscribed on both sides of the centerpiece. The sculpture is situated on four acres and overlooks the Great Tidal Basin. The site also includes 182 cherry blossom trees that encircle the memorial and a nearby bookstore. If you’re in Washington, D.C., you shouldn’t miss this place.
Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park
450 Auburn Ave. NE
Atlanta, GA 30312
(404) 331-519
www.nps.gov
Hours: Visitor Center, Ebenezer Baptist Church and Freedom Hall are open daily f9 ama.m.5 pm p.m. December 25. Dr. King’s birth home is open for ranger-led tours from 10 a.m. to. Four p.m. daily. Fire Station No. 6 is also open from 9 a.m. to. 5 p.m. daily. All facilities are closed on January 1, Thanksgiving Day, and December 25.
Fee: There is no admission fee.
The Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park will draw enormous crowds over the MLK Jr. holiday. Encompassing 35 acres, the park has several historic structures, including Dr. King’s childhood home, Ebenezer Baptist Church, and his wife Coretta’s final resting place. Located in the Sweet Auburn Historic District east of downtown Atlanta, the park also features the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame, and Prince Hall Masonic Temple. Encircled by a reflecting pool, the tomb of Dr. King and Coretta Scott King is one of the most visited sites in Georgia’s capital city.
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National Civil Rights Museum
450 Mulberry St.
Memphis, TN 38103
(901) 521-9699
www.civilrightsmuseum.org
Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. except closed Tuesdays. Open until 6 p,m. on January 20
Fees: Adults $17, Older Adults and Students w/ID $15, Children Ages 5-17 $14, and Children 4 and under are free. Active U.S. military members are free. The museum has free admission on MLK Day 2020.
In observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the National Civil Rights Museum will offer free admission on Monday, January 20. Opened in 1991, the National Civil Rights Museum is a collection of museums and historic buildings. This includes the former Lorraine Motel, the site of Dr. King’s tragic assassination outside his Room 306 on April 4, 1968. A Smithsonian Affiliate Museum since 2016, the National Civil Rights Museum also features several historical artifacts and replicas in its permanent collection. Among the most prominent are the preserved Rooms 307 and 307 and replicas of the 1960 Student Sit-Ins and the Rosa Parks bus.
Although admission is free on January 20, visitors who donated canned goods to the King Day Food Drive will receive a $2 coupon for a future museum visit this year. The museum also hosts a blood drive where donors can receive express entry and museum guest passes for another visit this year.
Selma To Montgomery National Historic Trail
7318 US Highway 80
Hayneville, AL 36040
(334) 877-1983
www.nps.gov
Lowndes Interpretive Center Hours: Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. a.m. 4:30 p.m.
Selma Interpretive Center Hours: Monday through Saturday 9 a,m, to .4:30 p.m.
Fees: There are no admission fees along the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail
Extending 54 miles, the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail commemorates the protest marches in 1965. Among these marches was the horrific “Bloody Sunday” event on March 7, 1965, which resulted in beatings by Alabama State Troopers and was later broadcast on national television. After Bloody Sunday, President Lyndon Johnson issued a statement condemning the cruel treatment of African Americans and eventually helped lead the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Enacted on August 6, 1965, the Voting Rights Act enforces the voting rights set forth by the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments and prohibits racial discrimination in voting. A large crowd is expected on January 20 to visit the Edmund Pettus Bridge, the setting for “Bloody Sunday.”
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Montgomery, Alabama
Visitors may also wish to visit the National Voting Rights Museum and Institute in Selma and historic sites in Montgomery. Throughout the holiday weekend and on Monday, Montgomery will host several events, including a Martin Luther King Jr. Citywide Celebration and MLK Holiday Weekend Parade. Montgomery travelers are also encouraged to visit sites along the Alabama Civil Rights Trail. This includes the Dexter Parsonage Museum, the former home of Martin Luther King Jr., Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, Civil Rights Memorial Center, Freedom Rides Museum, and the Rosa Parks Museum.
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About The Author
Randy Yagi is an award-winning freelance writer who served as the National Travel Writer for CBS Local from 2012 to 2019. More than 900 of his stories still appear in syndication across 23 CBS websites, including CBS New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco. During his peak years with CBS, Randy had a reported digital audience reach of 489 million and 5.5 million monthly visitors. Additionally, his stories have appeared in the Daily Meal, CBS News, CBS Radio, Engadget, NBC, NJ.com, and Radio.com. He earned a media fellowship from Stanford University in 2012.