MLK Day Events and Pictures

Update February 4, 2011: We've added more events! Check out our Flickr photostream at www.flickr.com/photos/BetheChangeInc

Across the country, people from all walks of life joined together on Monday to celebrate the work of Dr. Martin Luther King through service. They truly took the spirit of the day to heart, with volunteer events for everyone from kids to seniors to everyone in between.

Here are just a few of the events that inspired us:

In Chicago, the folks at Kidz Korna organized a speech and a gathering at Olympia Fields Park. Kidz Korna is an organization dedicated to urban youth, by teaching and working with children through a TV show and a youth program. Kids from throughout the community were invited to talk about the importance of service and how service can contribute to non-violent and peaceful resolutions to challenges that face the community. With Fuzzbow, their action character who is a virtual representation of the effects of violence, the children were able to see the importance of non-violence in their communities and to see the opportunities available for a better future.

Here are some photos from the event:

 

Another event that inspired us happened in Washington, DC at the Takoma Educational Center. In December, a fire forced the closure of the Meyer Elementary School, forcing its students to relocate to a different building. On Monday, people from across DC joined together for a beautification project designed to make the temporary building more appealing and more productive for the students who are learning there. Volunteers painted murals designed to inspire the students, as well as encourage them to practice living the values that Dr. King preached.

Here are some more photos from the event:

MLK2011_047  MLK2011_050

MLK2011_059  MLK2011_061

Garfield High School in Seattle, Washington hosted events throughout the day designed to get people talking about ways to build a stronger, better community. The say started off with a march through town followed by a rally at the high school with speakers and other events surrounding MLK Day. With courses and discussions on racism held throughout the day, t-shirts with inspirational messages and the opportunity to share what you had in common with Dr. King, the volunteers and attendees at the event had the chance to talk about how they were affected by racism and lack of opportunity in their communities. They also spoke with Washington State Service Corps AmeriCorps volunteers about the value of service and how integral to the community is their work.

Check out some of the pictures below:

MLK day 2011, Seattle  MLK day Children's quotes @ Garfield High, Seattle

MLK day @ Garfield high Seattle  MLK day @ Garfield high school Seattle

The Michigan Campus Compact held an event at the University of Michigan to host "teams" from universities around the state of Michigan. Volunteers joined together folks from City Year Detroit to work on a Habitat for Humanity project, to volunteer at local shelters and to work with youth to talk about service and the legacy of MLK.

City Year getting the volunteers ready, MI  At Jackson Shelter Serving food2, MI At Jackson Shelter playing with the youth, MI  Volunteers at Vista Maria, MI

There are photos from all sorts of work, so make sure you see these ones and then check out the rest on the MLK Day Flickr stream.

These aren’t the only events that happened across the country, so take a minute to flip through the MLK Day Flickr stream and find some more that inspire you. Did you attend an MLK Day event? Send us your pictures here and share your stories on the mlkday.gov website.

Why is MLK Day so important, especially on this 25th anniversary of event? Check out this video:

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