Initiated by Congress in 1994, the King Day of Service transforms the federal holiday into a national day of community service grounded in Dr. King’s teachings of nonviolence and social justice. The holiday is a day ON, where people of all ages and backgrounds improve lives, bridge social barriers, and move our nation closer to the “Beloved Community” that Dr. King envisioned.
Friday, January 12 – 19
Various Events
Belmont University
Events will begin with the MLK Breakfast celebration on January 12th and continue thrugh January 19th. Events are open to the public and include a candlelight vigil in commemoration of the Civil Rights Movement, a chapel service, and a campus dialogue on diversity, race and ethnicity. For a schedule of events, please see www.belmont.edu/mlk
Saturday, January 13
10:00 am
Youth Forum
Downtown Library
615 Church Street
Nashville, TN 37219
Sunday, January 14
7:00 PM
Let Freedom Sing
Schermerhorn Symphony Center
Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2018, this free annual concert honors the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Joined by an adult chorus and a youth chorus drawn from the Nashville community, the orchestra will perform an inspiring selection of music honoring the triumphs of the civil rights movement. Nashville Public Library will provide visuals from its Civil Rights Collection, projected on a large screen above the stage.
Monday, January 15
8:30am – 10:00am
Youth Program
Jefferson Street Baptist
Church
2708 Jefferson Street
Nashville, TN 37208
10:00am
Ceremonial March to TSU Gentry Complex
28th & Jefferson Street
11:00am – 12:00pm
Convocation
TSU Gentry Complex
3500 John A. Merritt Blvd.
Nashville, TN 37209
The Interdenominational Ministers Fellowship and the Nashville Community invite you to Celebrate the Life and Legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Ceremonial March to TSU Gentry Complex will begin at the intersection of 28th & Jefferson Street followed by convocation at the TSU Gentry Center.
Monday, January 15
Vanderbilt University Mlk Commemoration
Langford Auditorium
2209 Garland Ave
Nashville, TN 37232
The MLK Keynote Address program with Professor Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, also at Vanderbilt, two nights later, the Chancellor’s Lecture Series presents Dr. Jelani Cobb, who will speak on From Louis Armstrong to the NFL: Racial Protest in America, Wednesday, January 17, at 6:30 pm in Langford Auditorium.
Saturday, January 13
Day of Service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
10:30 am. – 4:30 pm
Fisk University Memorial
Chapel
1000 17th Avenue North
Nashville, TN 37208
The event will begin at Fisk University. Participants will share a meal together, have a brief program, and then depart to a variety of service sites. Afterwards, participants gather again at Fisk for a time of reflection and celebration.
Monday, January 15
5K4MLK
Keynote Speaker- 7:30 am
5K Start- 8:00 AM
East Park Community
Center
600 Woodland Street
Nashville, TN 37206
The 5K4MLK unites the community to run for diversity in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.
All Year
The Civil Rights Room
Nashville Downtown Library
615 Church Street
Ongoing
The Civil Rights Room is a space for education and exploration of the Civil Rights Collection. The materials exhibited here capture the drama of a time when thousands of African-American citizens in Nashville sparked a nonviolent challenge to racial segregation in the city and across the South.
