Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Johnson County with these 6 events
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The Iowa City area joins communities across America in honoring Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and his service with events through the end of January.
The legacy of the Nobel Peace Prize winner and his leadership and advocacy for the civil rights movement will be explored locally through film, educational opportunities and a unity march.
‘Moving the Dream Forward’ in Iowa City
Time: Jan. 16, 9:45 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Location: Eastdale Plaza, 1700 S. First Ave. and Mercer Park, 1317 Dover St.
Join community members on Monday for a unity march and an afternoon of activities with the “Moving the Dream Forward” celebration in Iowa City.
The event begins with the march at 9:45 a.m. at the United Action for Youth at the Eastdale Plaza at 1700 S. First Ave.
Participants will head to Mercer Park Gym, 1317 Dover St., where there will be performances and speakers, followed by a free lunch.
Through 2 p.m., attendees can participate in a variety of activities including creating 150 care kits for the unhoused community or a community art project.
“Moving the Dream Forward” is free to attend.
Visit Iowa City's website for more information.
Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration of Human Rights Week
The University of Iowa is hosting a series of events free and open to the public in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.
This includes a weeklong food drive held at the Iowa Memorial Union, 125 N. Madison St., that will benefit local food pantries and virtual discussions on health and inequity.
Highlights of the weeklong event include a screening of “JustUs,” the documentary that explores how incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people are involved in criminal justice reform. Following it will be a panel discussion that includes law students, activities and formerly incarcerated individuals.
Time: Jan. 18, 10 a.m.
Location: 130 Byington Road, Iowa City
Later Wednesday, Donald Warne, the Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health co-director, will give the Martin Luther King Jr. Distinguished Lecture and present “Innovative Pathways to Indigenous Health Equity.”
Time: Jan. 18, noon
Location: PremSahai Auditorium, 375 Newtown Road, Iowa City
Ashley Howard, assistant professor of African American History at UI, will present a lecture titled “Where Do We Go From Here? Meditations on Region, Violence & Possibility” at the Boyd Law Building.
Time: Jan. 20, 12:45 p.m. to 1:45 p.m.
Location: 130 Byington Road, Iowa City
Visit https://mlk.uiowa.edu/ for a full list of events or to RSVP for Warne's lecture.
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‘I Am Not Your Negro’ at Coralville Public Library
The Coralville Public Library is hosting a free film screening of “I Am Not Your Negro” in honor of the holiday.
The 2016 documentary is based on the writings of James Baldwin to explore race in America, both during the Civil Rights movement and present day, and the assassinations of Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr. and Medgar Evers.
The Oscar-nominated documentary runs an hour and 30 minutes.
Visit Coralville Public Library's website for more information.
Time: Jan. 16, 6 p.m.
Location: 1401 Fifth St., Coralville
United Action for Youth teen events
The United Action for Youth and the Iowa City Public Library have partnered to bring weekly programming for teens centered around the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr.
For the first part in the series, youth are invited to perform and speak their truths. The following event will invite attendees to view and make art inspired by the civil rights movement. The final event celebrates service. Teens will help distribute food collected by the United Action for Youth to those in need in the Iowa City area.
Snacks will be provided at all sessions.
Visit United Action for Youth's Facebook page for more information.
Time: Jan. 13, Jan. 20 and Jan. 27 from 5 to 7 p.m.
Location: United Action for Youth Swaim Youth Center, 355 Iowa Ave., Iowa City
Iowa Children’s Museum
The Iowa Children’s Museum in Coralville is hosting a community event to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
Admission to the museum is free Monday.
Guests are invited to enjoy the museum or participate in an activity in honor of the National Day of Service.
People can help assemble activity kits provided by the museum that will be donated to local community partners to support families experiencing difficult times. Attendees are also invited to donate diapers, personal care items or other needed items to the Coralville Community Food Pantry.
There will be a mobile exhibit from the African American Museum of Iowa and books for further learning.
Visit the Iowa Children’s Museum's website for more information.
Time: Jan. 16 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Location: 1451 Coral Ridge Ave., Coralville
‘Selma’ and ‘Within Our Gates’ at FilmScene
Iowa City’s independent, nonprofit cinema FilmScene is hosting a free screening of “Selma” as part of its ongoing program A Community Collaborations.
The 2014 film, directed by Ava DuVernay (“When They See Us,” “A Wrinkle in Time”), chronicles the historic march in 1965 led by Martin Luther King Jr. from Selma to Montgomery in Alabama, where marchers where met with violence.
Those interested in attending the film screening should visit FilmScene’s website to get tickets.
On Thursday, FilmScene will show “Within Our Gates” by Oscar Micheaux, “the earliest surviving feature film by an African American director,” according to FilmScene’s website.
The 1920 film follows Sylvia Landry, who helps a near bankrupt school for Black youth as the violence her parents faced is revealed throughout the film. The screening will have the Alvin Cobb Jr. trio perform the original score and a panel discussion will follow the film.
Presented in partnership with the Bijou Film Board, tickets are offered on a pay-what-you-can sliding scale.
Time: Jan. 17 at 6:30 p.m. and Jan. 19 at 7 p.m.
Location: 404 E. College St., Iowa City
Paris Barraza covers entertainment, lifestyle and arts at the Iowa City Press-Citizen. Reach her at PBarraza@press-citizen.com or 319-519-9731. Follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Celebrate MLK Day with these six Iowa City area events
