American Civil Rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speaks at a rally held at the Robert Taylor Houses in Chicago, Illinois, 1960s.
Robert Abbott Sengstacke/Getty ImagesMartin Luther King, Jr. Day is celebrated this year on Jan. 16, honoring the birthday of one of the most well-known leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, which sought to end racial discrimination in the United States.
To honor Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life and legacy, communities all across Connecticut are hosting events, as well as doing community service, on or around the holiday that aim to promote King's vision of a more equal world.
King himself has roots in the Nutmeg State, working at a Simsbury tobacco farm, worshipping alongside white residents at a Simsbury church and eating at a restaurant in Hartford, during a time when that was not common for Black individuals, according to connecticuthistory.org.
Martin Luther King Jr., Day became a federal holiday when President Ronald Reagan signed it into law Nov. 2, 1983. Legislation to create the holiday was introduced four days after King was assassinated in Tennessee, according to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. The day also aims to promote the use of nonviolence as a means to achieve change, according to the National Constitution Center.
Despite the day being celebrated on Jan. 16 this year, King was actually born on Jan. 15, 1929, and the date for the holiday can range from Jan. 15 - 21, depending on the year.
Here is where you can celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day around Connecticut:
Layla Braxton dances at the Klein Memorial Auditorium in Bridgeport on Jan. 20, 2020.
“Bridgeport Has a Dream” will bring over 150 multi-racial and multi-generational performers to The Klein Memorial Auditorium on Jan. 16, according to Connect Us.
The location has ties to the Civil Rights Movement, as King spoke at Klein back in 1961 and 1964, according to the Bridgeport History Center.
Yale Peabody Museum will be hosting its 27th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Legacy of Social & Environmental Justice event on Jan. 15, according to its website.
Joy Donaldson, Waltrina Kirkland and Clifton Graves will be speaking about the impact of King's work. There will be an interactive performance of African dance and drumming.
The museum will also be hosting an MLK-themed poetry slam on Jan. 16.
To celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr., The University of New Haven is hosting several events, including an interfaith service and celebration of activism on Jan. 20, a skill-building workshop on Jan. 23 and an award ceremony to recognize those who have made an impact in the community on Jan. 25, according to its website.
University members will also be doing community service from Jan. 20 - Jan. 25.
The first African American female U.S. Attorney for the state of Connecticut, Vanessa Avery, will be speaking over Zoom during this breakfast event that honors King's legacy on Jan. 16.
Author of "The All-Together Quilt" Lizzy Rockwell is hosting an event at the Fairfield Museum and History Center where guests can listen to a reading of the book and do hands-on activities, such as sewing, on Jan. 16, according to the museum's website.
Ridgefield Town Clark Wendy Lionetti
The Town of Ridgefield will present the Spirit of Dr. King Community Service Award to Ridgefield Town Clark Wendy Lionetti for her "outstanding commitment to community service and selflessness" on Jan. 16 at The Ridgefield Playhouse.
New Haven City Hall, 165 Church St. New Haven, Conn.
King's "Beyond Vietnam" speech will be read by members of the Greater New Haven Peace Council on the second floor of the New Haven City Hall on Jan. 13 during an event that "condemns militarism and extravagant military spending," according to its Allevent page.
Filmmaker and creative artist Junauda Petrus will be giving a keynote address on King's work at the Westport Country Playhouse on Jan. 15, according to its website.
Students from Regional Center for the Arts will also be giving a dance performance.
The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art is celebrating King with free admission and an exhibit that aims to teach visitors how art can be used for social justice on Jan. 16, according to its website.
The Stamford JCC will have volunteers make meals, mostly consisting of lasagna and sandwiches, for the Inspirica and Pacific House homeless shelters on Jan. 16, according to its website. There will also be a poster contest in which volunteers can show "what inclusivity means to them."
Brien McMahon High School and Norwalk High School will be hosting a community breakfast at Calvary Baptist Church on Jan. 16.
Norwalk Public Schools social worker Kevin Downing will be giving a keynote speech and students will be presenting artwork.