Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day in North Jersey: Parties, rallies and days of service

Ricardo Kaulessar, NorthJersey.com
·6 min read
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Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and across North Jersey, various events will be held to celebrate the legacy of the legendary civil rights leader.

The lineup will include a memorial breakfast, fundraiser walk and an outdoor rally to remember King, who visited northern New Jersey during his life cut tragically short. Before he was killed by an assassin's bullet at the age of 39 on April 4, 1968, King came to the area to rally support in Montclair in September 1966, Paterson in March 1968, Jersey City in September 1965 and March 1968 and Newark in March 1968.

The following events are free unless noted otherwise.

The Center for Food Action held a Day of Service Snack Pack Event on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day at Community Baptist Church in Englewood, N.J. on Monday Jan. 16, 2023. Volunteers put together snack in bags which will be distributed to the needy.
The Center for Food Action held a Day of Service Snack Pack Event on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day at Community Baptist Church in Englewood, N.J. on Monday Jan. 16, 2023. Volunteers put together snack in bags which will be distributed to the needy.

Bergen County

  • In Englewood, the Center for Food Action will hold its fifth annual MLK Day of Service Weekend Snack Pack event on Monday at the Community Baptist Church, 224 First St., at noon. Participants can pack snack packs for families in Bergen County facing food insecurity. Registration is required for those attending as space is limited. Donations and sponsorship levels start at $60 for attendees or those not able to attend. Email events@cfanj.org or call (201) 569-1804, ext. 27, for more information.

  • Bergen County Sheriff Anthony Cureton, in partnership with New Hope Baptist Church, will host an MLK Day Celebration on Monday at 1 p.m. at 214 Berdan Pl. in Hackensack. The Garden State Choral Chapter will perform. State Senator Britnee Timberlake is the guest speaker. The event will also be livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube at NewHopeHackensack. For more information, call (725) 735-9800 or (201) 343-9449.

  • The Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Committee and the New Jersey State MLK Commission will present the 95th Birthday Celebration in Honor of King on Monday at 6:30 p.m. at Temple Emeth, 1666 Windsor Road in Teaneck. State Assemblywoman Shavonda Sumter will speak. There also will be musical performances by the Teaneck Community Chorus and musicians Charles Warren, Reggie Pittman, and Valerie Johnson. Awards and scholarships will also be given out. Donations can be made to MLK Birthday Committee, P. O. Box 2017, Teaneck, New Jersey 07666, or by Zelle to mlkbirthdaycomm@gmail.com. Call (201) 833-9180 for more information.

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Essex County

  • The YMCA of Newark and Vicinity will hold its 53rd Anniversary Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Breakfast on Friday at 8 a.m. at the Robert Treat Hotel, 50 Park Place in Newark. Tickets are $45 and up and can be purchased on the YMCA website. Organizers say proceeds for this event will directly impact those in need. For more information, call (973) 624-8900 or email: INFO@NEWARKYMCA.ORG.

  • The Newark Museum of Art will present Community Day – Martin Luther King Jr.: Vision in Action on Monday from 12 to 5 p.m. at the museum, located at 49 Washington St. The day will feature performances, hands-on activities, and opportunities to help others. Museum partners will also be on hand to provide goods and information. Visitors are encouraged to bring nonperishable food items to support a local food bank, women's shelter, or church. Attendees can register online through the Newark Museum.

  • The nonprofit Jersey Cares will hold its Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service: "I Have A Dream" Walk on Monday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Millburn High School track at 462 Millburn Ave. Participants ages 4 and up can walk 2 miles or run a 5K. Half of all funds raised will go to the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice. Registration is free.

  • The Martin Luther King March & Rally for Black Liberation will take place on Monday at 2 p.m., starting at the Martin Luther King Statue, 495 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. in Newark. The march and rally are organized by the People’s Organization for Progress. Groups wanting to endorse the event and those needing more information should call (973) 801-0001.

Morris County

  • The Calvary Baptist Church in Morristown, 10 Martin Luther King Ave., will hold its 54th Annual King Day on Monday at 10 a.m. The guest speaker for the event is the senior pastor, the Rev. Dr. Jerry M. Carter, Jr. This event is presented by the Martin Luther King Observance Committee.

  • Chatham Borough will carry out its Martin Luther King Day Jr. Day of Service Food Drive on Monday from 10 a.m. to noon at the Chatham United Methodist Church, 460 Main St. in Chatham. The public can do drive-thru drop-offs of nonperishable items such as canned tuna, peanut butter, instant potatoes and baking mixes. The food drive is sponsored by the Chatham Interfaith Council and The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee of Chatham Borough.

  • The Library of the Chathams will host the MLK Day Luminary Project on Monday from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Lundt Room of the library, 214 Main St. in Chatham. Participants will make a decorated luminary, or artificial light, at the library in honor of Dr. King. No registration is required.

Wayne, NJ -- January 4, 2024 -- Jimmy Richardson's Martin Luther King Day exhibit, that opens this week at the Wayne Public Library. The exhibition will showcase photos and documents of King.This photo has Martin Luther King speaking at a church in Paterson.
Wayne, NJ -- January 4, 2024 -- Jimmy Richardson's Martin Luther King Day exhibit, that opens this week at the Wayne Public Library. The exhibition will showcase photos and documents of King.This photo has Martin Luther King speaking at a church in Paterson.

Passaic County

  • The Bella Chanel Mentoring Program will host a Dr. Martin Luther King Birthday Celebration on Saturday at the Martin Luther King School #6, 85 Hamilton Ave. in Passaic at 2 p.m. The celebration will feature a screening of the 2022 movie “Till," about Emmitt Till, an African American teen from Chicago lynched by white men in 1955 in Mississippi. The screening will be followed by comments from Keith Beauchamp, a co-writer and co-producer of the film. For more details, call Kim Cottrell at (973) 739-8880 or email kim@bellachanelmp.org.

  • The United Passaic Organization and More Than Bootstraps will present MLK Day of Service 2024 at the Mt. Zion Baptist Church, 857 Main Ave. in Passaic, on Monday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event will include the grand opening of the United Passaic Organization Community Cafe Mobile Food Pantry and a book talk and signing by actress Andrea Navedo. Tickets for the event are available online. Contact United Passaic Organization for information at (973) 472-2478.

  • Paterson-based nonprofit Malichi's Mission will hold an MLK Day and Mali Day event on Monday from noon to 3 p.m. in the parking lot of the Paterson Main Library, 250 Broadway in Paterson. The occasion, done in collaboration with Hazel's Place Family Services for Women and Children, will be for collecting items for those who are homeless, such as new coats and hygiene products. There will also be food, giveaways and various presentations. Those who want to help can call April Brown at (201) 364-3927.

Ricardo Kaulessar covers race, immigration, and culture for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: kaulessar@northjersey.com

Twitter: @ricardokaul

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: MLK Day in NJ: Parties, rallies and volunteer opportunities