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Martin Luther King Jr. Celebrations Planned Along The Front Range

Tom LeGro
/
PBS NewsHour

On Monday, January 20, 1986, people across the country celebrated the first official Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the only federal holiday commemorating an African-American. In Colorado, many will commemorate the life and legacy of the slain civil-rights leader across the Front Range.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.once said, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: 'What are you doing for others?'"

According to the National Corporation for Community Service,

  • In recognition of Dr. King’s incredible legacy of service to all, Congress designated the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday as a national day of service in 1994 and charged the Corporation for National and Community Service with leading this effort.
  • Taking place each year on the third Monday in January, the MLK Day of Service is the only federal holiday observed as a national day of service – a “day on, not a day off.”

You can find local ways to volunteer here as well as a few 2014 highlights of events below.

Denver

The annual combination celebration and march, dubbed by former Denver first lady Wilma Webb as a "Marade," will gather at the King memorial site in City Park at 9 a.m. At 10 a.m., participants will journey 3 miles down East Colfax Avenue to Civic Center.

Boulder

Starting at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, Boulder's celebration will have slam poetry, music, and MLK service pledges in front of the Boulder County Courthouse on Pearl Street. At 12:30 p.m., the Youth Opportunities Advisory Board will lead a march from the courthouse to the CU-Boulder University Memorial Center.

From 1 p.m.-4 p.m., celebration activities at the CU-Boulder UMC will feature a 2:00 p.m. performance of Do You Know Who I Am? by Motus Theater. In addition there is a human rights fair featuring community organizations, Reading to End Racism and other children’s activities, and MLK’s birthday cake provided by Lexmark at 4:00 p.m.

Parking is free on streets and in the CU Euclid parking lot.

Fort Collins

The Community March will be at 11:00 a.m. Meet at Old Town Square and join the march to the University Center for the Arts at 1400 Remington Street. Following at 11:45 a.m. at the University Center for the Arts - in the Griffin Concert Hall - there will be a celebration featuring Poudre School District Winners from an essay/poetry contest.

Loveland

Credit Tom LeGro / PBS NewsHour
/
PBS NewsHour
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, Aug. 24, 2011, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

'Loveland Celebrates Diversity' featuring speaker Dr. Ryan Ross, Dean of Student Development and Retention at Community College of Denver will take place at 7:00 p.m. at Mountain View High School.

Greeley

The celebration and march begins at 10:30 a.m. at the Greeley Chamber of Commerce, 7th Ave & 9th St.

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