Events celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. in the Erie area

Monday is the special day set aside for honoring Martin Luther King Jr. and events around Erie will remember the slain civil rights leader before and after his namesake federal holiday.

King was born Jan. 15, 1929, and his holiday has fallen on the third Monday in January since the mid-1980s. He was assassinated in 1968.

We've compiled a list of local observances in the Erie area. If you know of others, send an email to dmassing@timesnews.com. You can also add your events at GoErie.com/calendar.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day March: The annual march will take place Monday, starting at noon at Perry Square. Marchers will gather in downtown Erie at 11:30 a.m. for the walk from Perry Square over West Sixth Street and then north to the Martin Luther King Center, 312 Chestnut St., where there will be a brief ceremony outside followed by a program inside. The theme is "Act 43," based on a 2020 Erie County Council resolution declaring racism a public health crisis. Call 814-459-2761, 814-899-3904 or 814-490-9669 for more information.

From 2020:Erie County Council designates racism a public health crisis

Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer Service: The ecumenical event will be Monday at 6 p.m. in Gannon University's Mary, Seat of Wisdom Chapel, 520 Peach St. The service will be based on the words, prayers, life and works of King and include ecumenical praise and worship, scripture readings and a reflection from Pastor Anthony Harris of Shiloh Baptist Church. For more information, visit gannon.campuslabs.com/engage/event/8687603 or www.facebook.com/events/1629828050806351.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day hockey game: The first puck will drop Monday at 2 p.m. at Erie Insurance Arena, 809 French St. The Erie Otters will take the ice for pregame in a jersey inspired by Black history and culture. The Otters also will unveil programs coming in February for Black History Month and this game will feature the elevation of an up-and-coming Black play-by-play broadcaster to call the game for OHL Live on CHL TV. Erie's Black Wall Street will be the game's nonprofit of the game. Kids can receive a free ticket with the purchase of an adult or senior/military ticket. Call 814-455-7779 or visit the box office to buy tickets. Learn more at ottershockey.com/2022-23-promotional-schedule and bit.ly/ottersblackhistorycelebration.

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Campus Family Brunch: Open to the public, this event will be held Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in McGarvey Commons at Penn State Behrend. Members of the Behrend community are invited to the annual event that includes a noon multimedia presentation, “Young Leaders of the Civil Rights Movement,” which showcases the history of student activism. Free. For more information, call 814-898-7101 or visit https://bit.ly/3Gq76Io.

"At the River I Stand: The Climax of the Civil Rights Movement": A film screening will take place Wednesday at 4 p.m., in Reed Auditorium at Penn State Behrend. Narrated by Paul Winfield, the documentary recounts the two months leading up to Martin Luther King Jr.’s death in 1968. It focuses in part on the strike by Memphis sanitation workers, a labor action that quickly expanded into a national movement. Free. For more information, call 814-898-7101 or visit https://bit.ly/3Gq76Io.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Events celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. in the Erie area