MLK Day events begin Thursday in St. Paul. Here’s what else is going on.

Pioneer Press
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The Council on the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday is hosting a series of events this year in St. Paul starting with a conference Thursday at Metropolitan State University.

The “Achieving the Dream Conference” will feature speeches, discussion and workshops. Professor Yohuru Williams, founding director of the Racial Justice Initiative at the University of St. Thomas, will deliver the keynote address exploring the legacy of the 1963 March on Washington with material from Williams’ new book, “More than a Dream: The Radical March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.”

The conference runs from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. For more information and tickets, go to: eventbrite.com/e/achieving-the-dream-conference-tickets-779227760207?aff=oddtdtcreator.

On Friday, a Youth Empowerment Summit will take place at the Science Museum of Minnesota. The event will provide high school students with interactive and youth activities, centering their interests, talents and contributions for the future of Minnesota. Partners include the Science Museum of Minnesota and 3M.

Saturday will feature a Day of Service across the state as well as the State of Minnesota Career Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the National Guard Armory. The event will feature job and career paths available in Minnesota. Those attending can engage with state agency recruiters and subject matter experts. There will be classes on resume tips and career management. Those interested can pre-register by going to mn.gov/oeoa/events.

Sunday is the Connections for Hope Day, offering Minnesotans the chance to attend various community-led gatherings celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Various places of worship, synagogues, mosques and temples will participate.

On Monday, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul. The event is hosted by Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan in collaboration with Chief Equity Officer Dr. Stephanie Burrage. Doors open at 9:30 a.m. with activities in the foyer. It will include performances as well as keynote speaker Caroline A. Wanga, CEO of Essence, and special guest Houston White Jr. The 2024 Champion of Change Award recipients also are to be recognized.

Federal Holiday: Remember that since Monday is a federal holiday, U.S. Post Offices are closed. So are banks as well as most libraries and government offices. St. Paul parking meters will not be enforced, but garbage and recycling collection is not impacted. Most public schools — including St. Paul Public Schools — also are closed.

Here’s a listing of other events scheduled in the Twin Cities:

Sunday

Minneapolis: At 3 p.m. the University of Minnesota is hosting its 43rd annual concert honoring Martin Luther King Jr. The free concert will take place at the Ted Mann Concert Hall. The theme this year, “The March Continues,” builds upon last year’s theme marking the 60th anniversary of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech and the partnership with the DREAM Initiative. This performance will be live-streamed; find information at diversity.umn.edu/MLKTribute. A reception will be held after the concert in the lobby featuring food from Preps by Marvelles. The program is hosted and curated by U alumnus G. Phillip Shoultz III of VocalEssence.

Monday

Minneapolis: The annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Breakfast event, benefitting UNCF Twin Cities, will be held at the Minneapolis Convention Center and feature Yohuru Williams leading a conversation with writer Marley Dias. In 2015, while she was in the sixth grade, Dias launched a campaign called #1000BlackGirlBooks to collect a thousand books with Black female protagonists to give to Black girls. She has hosted a Netflix show called “Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices.” Doors open at 7 a.m. with the event taking place from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Tickets are available at MLKBreakfast.com.

Minneapolis: The annual Martin Luther King Jr. event put on by the Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association in Minneapolis will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will feature performing artists, community partners with examples of equity forward work, a complimentary lunch, gift boxes for children, and “an overall experience founded on the principles and beliefs upheld by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” according to a press release. For more information go to ppna.org/mlkcelebration.

South St. Paul: The South St. Paul Faith Communities and the city of South St. Paul are holding the 3nd Annual South St. Paul Commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr. This event — at 9 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church at 535 20th Ave. N. in South St. Paul — is free to attend and is open to all residents. Immediately following the program, there will be a social gathering with light breakfast items. To RSVP or for questions, contact Deb Griffith at Deb.griffith@southstpaul.org or 651-554-3230.

White Bear Lake: The event “Leading Onward: Elevating New Voices for Justice and Equity” will take place at 8 a.m. at Parkview United Church of Christ at 3737 Bellaire Ave. in White Bear Lake. Everyone is invited to this annual community event but they are asked to register at eventbrite.com/o/parkview-united-church-of-christ-76381100043. Following a live stream of the 34th Annual Twin Cities Dr. MLK Jr. Holiday Breakfast, the program will begin and be led by the students of the Black Student Union at White Bear Lake High School. Students of the Black Multicultural Society at Century College will join them. The program will include music, personal stories, poetry, skits and a panel discussion led by Ramsey County Commissioner Victoria Reinhardt.

Tuesday, Jan. 16

St. Paul: Hamline University and neighboring communities will gather for a celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. from 4 to 5:15 p.m. at Anderson Center Forum at 774 Snelling Ave. N. The program will focus on King’s Nobel Lecture speech “The Quest for Peace & Justice” and feature remarks from Acting President Dr. Kathleen Murray and others, including a reading of King’s work by Hamline student Brandy Sanchez Dominguez and the Charge to the University Community delivered by Kamaria Williams (president of the Black Student Collective). Also, the 2024 Beloved Community Awards will be presented during the event. For more information contact the center at hedgemancenter@hamline.edu or call (651) 523-2423.

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