Montgomery County will host its annual celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, but due to the COVID-19 health crisis, will do it in a virtual program at 5 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 18.
“In His and Their Own Words: Reflecting Our Past While Forecasting the Future” will honor Dr. King’s life through dramatic readings, musical and dance performances. The event, produced by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Committee and the Montgomery County Office of Human Rights, will be available on County Cable Montgomery; Comcast and RCN (Channel 6 and HD Channel 996); Verizon (Channel 30); and County Cable Facebook.
This year’s event will include special greetings and remarks by County Executive Marc Elrich and County Council President Tom Hucker and introductory remarks by James Stowe, director of the County’s Office of Human Rights. County Councilmembers will recite brief excerpts from Dr. King’s speeches and four students will share their personal letters addressed to “Dear Martin.” The event will feature an interactive segment that will allow viewers to create MLK-inspired art in real time while enjoying performances by Chelsey Green, Dem Raider Boyz and the Akhmedova Ballet Academy.
World-renowned jazz musician and Montgomery County’s own, Marcus Johnson, will conclude the event with a special performance created especially for the 2021 celebration.
Students can earn SSL hours by viewing the celebration and participating in an advocacy and reflection exercise as part of an MLK Week of Service. More details are available on the MLK Student Service Learning project page.
Registration is encouraged to receive a day of reminder email with the direct link to the event and instructions on how to participate in the live interactive part of the show.
For more information, visit the event website.
