National Civil Rights Museum holds Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration online

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day was celebrated online with the National Civil Rights Museum because of the snowy weather in Memphis on Monday.

The celebration featured songs from performers, a historian speaker and personal accounts from volunteers at the museum. Songs like "One Love," "Higher Ground," "Come Together," "How I Got Over" and more were sung in honor of the late preacher and activist.

The president of the National Civil Rights Museum, Dr. Russ Wigginton, started the ceremony by speaking about King's legacy.

“As we celebrate his 95th birthday, we want you to be reminded of his courage, his conviction and his love for this country and for all people," Wigginton said. "I hope that you take a moment today to think about Dr. King, whose relentlessness for human rights and social justice catapulted us into an era that we can all believe that we’re all equal, we all deserve better, we all should live in the spirit of love, and we all matter.”

Dr. Hasan Jeffries, an associate professor of history at Ohio State University, spoke on King's life from childhood to his lasting impact on the world. Jeffries spoke on various topics, including how King became an activist, how he became so loved despite the hate he received and how his legacy lives on today.

"King is an evolving thinker," Jeffries said. "Too often we freeze him on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington as though that was his first and last thought."

Jeffries discussed how King's connection to the Lord through his servitude is what made him so different from so many activists at the time. Jeffries mentioned how King never thought of leading a life of activism but answered the call to political action much like he answered the call to preach.

Along with Jeffries, the celebration had volunteers from the past few decades speak on why they love working for the National Civil Rights Museum and what Martin Luther King Jr. Day means to them.

Hortensia Dean started volunteering with the National Civil Rights Museum in 2010 and later got her daughter involved.

"I started her in 2013 so she could get that opportunity and that experience to know what it was to give back in the community," Dean said.

Beverly Alexandar started volunteering in 2014 as a way to pass on her knowledge and give to the community.

“It is a way for me to give forward," Alexander said. "What we have, this history of the Museum, is so important. So volunteering there allows me to be a part of history while absorbing the past history that we’ve had.”

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The event, which lasted an hour, had a watch party of more than 1,000 people while streaming. Watchers contributed their thoughts on the museum holding the event online instead of in person this year because of the weather.

Viewer Danielle Durden wrote, "Thank you for streaming this given the crazy weather! So sad to not make it in person, but I'm grateful to still be able to watch."

The celebration ended with an audio quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. reading from his "Letter from a Birmingham Jail."

Jordan Green covers trending news for the USA Today Network. She can be reached via email at jordan.green@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter/X @_green_jordan_.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Spirits high for online King Day celebration in snowy Memphis