DOWNTOWN, ST. LOUIS – On Monday, January 16, we honor, remember, and celebrate one of the most prominent voices of the civil rights movement.
The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Committee of St. Louis is hosting its 54th annual march Monday. The committee works to drive out poverty, racism, and violence in the city of St. Louis. They also promote voter registration.
Things will get started on the Old Courthouse steps at 9:00 a.m. Then there will be a march and motorcade that goes through the streets of downtown to the Sun Theatre at Grandel square.
People were in their cars the last two years because of COVID.
Mayor Tishaura Jones and Congresswoman Cori Bush are expected to make remarks.
Martin Luther King Jr. was a baptist minister and one of the most notable leaders of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement. James Earl Ray assassinated King back in 1968. In 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed MLK Day into law, designating the third Monday in January a federal holiday.
Several events took place to honor Dr. King’s life and legacy over the weekend. A march for peace started at the MLK statue at Fountain Park in north St. Louis. Here’s what Mayor Jones had to say on Saturday.
“I want you to make sure that you’re doing your part. This is a time for us to reflect on if we are doing our part to lift up Dr. King’s Legacy.”
Free food for the community will also be provided Monday by Social Change. Affinia Health Care will be providing vaccines from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The commemoration itself will go from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.