Martin Luther King, Jr. Day has been a federal holiday and recognized as a National Day of Service since it was signed into law by President Reagan in 1983. MLK Day has been observed in the State of Arizona as MLK/Civil Rights Day since it was passed by popular affirmation in November 1992, making Arizona the last state to recognize MLK Day. Since the passage of the vote, several celebrations have been held around the valley honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his legacy. Looking for ways to honor MLK Day as a family? Check this list of events around the Valley:
Scottsdale
Community Celebrating Diversity – 28th Annual MLK Celebration Dinner
Wednesday, January 12th, 2022 – 5:30pm
Embassy Suites Scottsdale Resort 5001 N Scottsdale Rd Scottsdale, AZ 85250
Phoenix
Annual MLK Commemorative Walk from Pilgrim Rest Church to Margaret T. Hance Park
Monday, January 17th, 2022 – 9:00am
The walk starts at Pilgrim Rest Church (1401 E. Jefferson) and ends at Margaret T. Hance Park with a festival in the park from 10am-4pm
Surprise
MLK Musical Celebration & Reflections
Wednesday, January 12th, 2022 – 6-8pm
Willow Canyon High School Auditorium • 17901 W. Lundberg St.
MLK Day of Celebration & Service
Saturday, January 15th, 2022
8:30am Music & Breakfast • 9am Program with a service project to follow
Surprise City Hall Courtyard • 16000 N. Civic Center Plz.
Mesa
Mesa-East Valley Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade and Festival
Monday, January 17th, 2022 – 11am
Starts at Center Street in Downtown Mesa at Martin Luther King Jr. Way. The Festival itself is located on Macdonald Street, just north of Main Street in Downtown Mesa from 12-4pm
Chandler
27th Annual Chandler Multicultural Festival
Saturday, January 15th, 2022 11am – 6pm
Dr. A.J. Chandler Park, 3 S. Arizona Ave Chandler, AZ 85224
Virtual
Virtual Arizona MLK Youth Celebration
January 15th, 2022
Virtual program filled with videos, poetry, music, performances, book showcase, social justice art showcase followed by a workshop.
To RSVP Click Here- https://arizonamlk.wixsite.com/azmlkorg/event-details/arizona-mlk-youth-celebration/form
In Your Own Home
If you can’t make it to a public event, there are several ways to honor MLK Day:
- Volunteer as a family in your own community
- Participate in Compassion Games “40 Days of Peace Challenge.” More information here https://www.compassiongames.org/mlk-40-days/
- Watch the “I Have A Dream” Speech from the March on Washington
- Create a family collage about how you are honoring MLK’s dream
- Read the story of MLK as a family. Some family-friendly book suggestions are:
- “I am Brave: A Little Book about Martin Luther King, Jr.” by Brad Meltzer
- “I am Martin Luther King, Jr.” by Brad Meltzer
- “Let the Children March” Hardcover by Monica Clark-Robinson
- “A Place to Land: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Speech That Inspired a Nation” by Barry Wittenstein
- “The March on Washington (American Girl: Real Stories From My Time)” by Bonnie Bader