Local events on Jan. 16 celebrate legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
On Monday, Kansas City joins the rest of the United States in celebrating the life of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
Multiple area events are planned for the national holiday. A sampling:
▪ The 33rd Annual Northland Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration begins at 10 a.m. in Gano Chapel at William Jewell College in Liberty. The Rev. Kasey Jones, the first African-American pastor of the National Memorial Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., will be the keynote speaker.
▪ The annual MLK Celebration in Kansas City, Kan., will feature keynote speaker the Rev. Jimmy Brown of St. Louis. Event starts at 11 a.m. at the Jack Reardon Convention Center, Fifth Street and Minnesota Avenue.
▪ MLK community forum, Concrete Action for Economic and Social Justice, starts at 3:30 p.m. at Friendship Baptist Church, 3530 Chelsea Ave., in Kansas City.
▪ Bob Kendrick of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum will be the keynote speaker during the annual King Celebration in Lee’s Summit. The program begins at 5:30 p.m. at John Knox Village, 520 N.W. Murray Road.
▪ King Holiday Mass Celebration will feature U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings as the keynote speaker. The Kansas City event starts at 6 p.m. at Friendship Baptist Church, 3530 Chelsea Ave.
▪ The 13th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy and Scholarship Awards Dinner in Overland Park will honor Blue Springs Mayor Carson Ross. Social hour starts at 5:30 p.m., dinner at 6 p.m. and the program at 7 p.m. at the Overland Park Marriott Hotel, 108th Street and Metcalf Avenue. Tickets are $75. Call 816-920-7774 for more information.
Glenn E. Rice: 816-234-4341, @GRicekcstar
Honoring the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
As we mark the 88th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s birth, The Star looks at the legacy of the civil rights hero and the many ways the Kansas City area is celebrating his life.
This story was originally published January 15, 2017 at 6:03 PM with the headline "Local events on Jan. 16 celebrate legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.."