King holiday marches, workshops and music arrive as Civil Rights Act marks 60 years

What does the historic Civil Rights Act of 1964 mean today, now 60 years since it became law? And what does the work of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. mean, now 60 years since he won the Nobel Peace Prize?

Answers may emerge in the frank but friendly discussions, performances, traditional march, stories and maybe even the kids crafts as the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday falls this year on his birthday, Jan. 15. South Bend has planned yet another huge local celebration — its 38th, in fact.

“We love it,” Gladys Muhammad, one of several long-time organizers, says of events whose theme is a fervent plea in an era of division and war: “Keep the Dream of Peace Alive: Don’t Let It Die.”

“It’s an opportunity for agencies to come together and work together,” she said.

And, except for a few cases where we’ve noted here, it won’t cost you anything.

Century Center

Century Center, at 120 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., South Bend, will host events all day Jan. 15. All are free unless otherwise noted.

∎ Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Service Recognition Breakfast: 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. Jan. 15. The annual breakfast features keynote speaker Superior Court Judge Kimberly Esmond Adams and the awarding of the annual Drum Major Awards. Tickets are $25 and must be must be ordered by Jan. 8 at eventbrite.com under “2024 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast Celebration.” They may also be ordered through Jessica Kitchens at JessicaVKitchens@gmail.com.

∎ Exhibits and vendors: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 15.

∎ Reparatory Justice Commission Forum: 9:30 to 11 a.m. Jan. 15. Meet the members of this commission as they share their work and invite feedback and suggestions.

∎ Blood drive: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 15. Sign up in advance at 574-386-4122 or at the Bloodmobile in Century Center. Blood type and blood pressure screenings included. Call 574-234-1157 for alternate locations.

∎ Understand Economic Empowerment: 10 to 11:30 a.m. Jan. 15. Learn about opportunities to become a small business owner and how to secure funding and support.

∎ 60th Anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act: 11 a.m. to noon Jan. 15. Discuss the history and significance of this historic act, as guided by Darryl Heller of IU South Bend’s Civil Rights Heritage Center.

∎ Early Literacy Workshop: 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Jan. 15. Children, parents and other adults will enjoy storytime with a story about King, geared to ages 0-5, as a way to emphasize the importance of literacy skills.

∎ Traditional program, but no march: Noon to 1 p.m. Jan. 15. Organizers decided to cancel the annual march, which normally starts from the County-City Building, because of the forecast for single-digit temperatures. But the program that precedes it will go on in the Century Center's Bendix Theatre with songs, words, prayers and awards.

∎ Estate Planning Basics: Noon to 1 p.m. Jan. 15. Get questions answered and learn how to ensure there’s a plan in place well before something happens to you or your loved ones.

∎ Children’s room: 1:30 to 3 p.m. Jan. 15. Supervised activities for ages 5-10.

∎ A Comprehensive Approach to Societal Healing: 1:30 to 3 p.m. Jan. 15. Explore a three-pronged approach to healing that strengthens family and community relationships, deals with larger societal issues and reparations and embraces spiritual health.

∎ How Violence Affect Our Lives: 3 to 5 p.m. Jan. 15. This workshop promotes solutions.

∎ Youth Cultural Program: 3 to 5 p.m. Jan. 15. Youths will present song, dance and other arts and receive community service awards.

Elsewhere in South Bend

∎ The South Bend Symphony Orchestra's Woodwind Quintet and a community choir directed by Turrell O’Neal: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 9 at Covenant Community Church, 3025 E. Edison Road; 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 10 at St. Augustine Catholic Parish, 1501 W. Washington St.; and 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 11 at Mt. Carmel Missionary Baptist Church, 1620 S. St. Joseph St. WUBS-FM (89.7) will broadcast the Jan. 10 concert. For more information, call 574-232-6343 or visit southbendsymphony.org.

∎ Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance worship service: 4:30 p.m. Jan. 14. Pastor Canneth Lee of Kingdom Christian Center will be the guest speaker at this annual service at New Horizons Ministries, 56165 Mayflower Road.

∎ Martin Luther King Youth Dreamers Luncheon: 10 a.m. to noon Jan. 15. Public is invited to this free event to unveil plans for the Martin Luther King Jr. Dream Center, to be held at the Charles Black Recreation Center, 3419 W. Washington St.

∎ The History Museum and Studebaker National Museum: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 15. Both museums offer free admission for the day. First-floor tours of the Oliver Mansion are offered, though limited, at 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. and 12:30, 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. The 1950s African American Worker’s Home opens for self-guided tours starting at 10:30 a.m.

∎ Auditions for “The Piano Lesson”: 6 to 9 p.m. Jan. 16. No prior acting experience is required to audition for this August Wilson play in which a Depression-era era family in Pittsburgh battles over whether or not to sell their prized heirloom, a piano, and their struggle over ghosts of the past. Auditions are at South Bend Civic Theatre, 403 N. Main St. For more details, visit sbct.org/audition-announcement-the-piano-lesson.

St. Joseph County Public Library

∎ "The Foundation of Peace Is Love”: Jan. 11 to Feb. 28. This exhibit is in the Smartbox in the library’s main branch, 304 S. Main St., South Bend, showing the work of South Bend artist Brooklyn Davis that commemorates the 60th anniversary of King receiving the Nobel Peace Prize.

∎ Understanding the African-American Experience, Africanisms in American Culture: 6:30 p.m. Jan. 25. Indiana University South Bend Professor Theo Randall discusses Africanisms, which are African cultural characteristics in predominantly non-African cultural spaces, such as food, language and music. In the main branch’s Leighton Auditorium.

∎ Ask-a-Lawyer: 1 to 4 p.m. Jan. 15. The Volunteer Lawyers Network offers free legal advice in this walk-in clinic in the main branch’s Community Learning Center, 305 S. Michigan St. Bring all pertinent information and documents. First come, first served basis.

University of Notre Dame

∎ Charting the Pathways to Racial Justice, 2.0: 4 to 5:30 p.m. Jan. 19. Panelists from around the country continue a frank conversation started last year on the status of racism in the U.S., in the auditorium of the Hesburgh Center for International Studies. Learn more at https://go.nd.edu/SpiritofTruthPt2.

∎ Uzima! Drum and Dance presents Ashe: 7:30 p.m. Jan. 20 at Notre Dame’s DeBartolo Performing Arts Center. This local troupe leads a celebration around Ashe, or Ase, a West African word meaning omnipresence, or immediacy, or “So Let It Be.” Admission is $5. Up to five free child tickets available with one paid adult ticket. Order at performingarts.nd.edu or 574-631-2600.

∎ Photo exhibit: 4 to 6 p.m. Jan. 18 and noon to 2 p.m. Jan. 19. Explore photographs of King and critical moments of the Civil Rights Movement in the Object Study Room of the new Raclin Murphy Museum of Art.

Elkhart

∎ Reflections: 10 to 11:30 a.m. Jan. 14. Elkhart city council President Arvis Dawson speaks on civil rights and King at Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 1732 Garden St., with refreshments afterwards and a meditation program at 11:45 a.m.

∎ Indiana Black Expo’s annual celebration: Jan. 15. Starts with march at 9 a.m. from Elkhart Civic Plaza, 350 S. Main St., to Community Missionary Baptist Church, 228 Chapman St., then a program at 10 a.m. at the church and a party at noon at 1320 Benham Ave. for youths who attended the church program.

Goshen College

∎ Poetry reading: 7:30 p.m. Jan. 13 in the Umble Center. Poet is Allison Joseph of Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.

∎ Worship service: 9:30 a.m. Jan. 14 at College Mennonite Church, 1900 S. Main St.

∎ Convocation, film: Jan. 15. Cyneatha Millsaps, executive director of the college’s Center for Community Engagement, leads the convocation at 10 a.m. in the Church-Chapel. The documentary “What Happened at Benham West: African American Stories of Community, Displacement and Hope” will be shown in the Umble Center at 2:15 p.m., with discussion to follow.

Southwest Michigan

For more details on the following events, visit lakemichigancollege.edu/MLK. Also, the United Way offers a five-day racial equity challenge (shorter than its 21-day challenge) at uwsm.org/21-day-equity-challenge.

∎ Jan. 15: Breakfast celebration from 8 to 9:30 a.m. with speakers that include founders of the African American History & Literature Gallery in Benton Harbor. Expo from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Panel discussion on the “National State of Civil Rights” from 7 to 8:30 p.m. All are at Lake Michigan College’s Mendel Center, 2755 E. Napier Ave., Benton Harbor.

∎ Jan. 16: Storytime and craft at 10:30 a.m. at Lincoln Township Public Library, 2099 W. John Beers Road, Stevensville. Panel discussion on “Social Inequalities in Health” from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Mendel Center.

∎ Jan. 17: MLK Storytime and craft at 10:30 a.m. at Niles District Library, 620 E. Main St., Niles, and at 11 a.m. at Benton Harbor Public Library, 213 E. Wall St., Benton Harbor. Panel discussion on “The Demonization of CRT: Teaching the Truth about Race and Racism” from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Mendel Center.

∎ Jan. 18: Dinner at 5:30 p.m. ($45) and speaker Laila Ali from 7 to 9:30 p.m. ($85-$55) at Mendel Center. Ali is the daughter of the late Muhammad Ali and is a boxing champ herself, along with a fitness and wellness advocate, home chef, entrepreneur and TV host. For tickets to either event, call 269-927-8700 or visit www.TheMendelCenter.com.

∎ Jan. 20: Vocal Showcase begins at 5 p.m. in the Howard Center for the Performing Arts at Andrews University, 4160 E. Campus Circle Drive, Berrien Springs.

Email Tribune staff writer Joseph Dits at jdits@sbtinfo.com.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Martin Luther King Day in South Bend area has march workshops music