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North Texas Celebrates Martin Luther King Day With Parades, Service Projects

The national Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington.
Shutterstock
The national Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington.

North Texas is commemorating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with a variety of events — from a youth summit and a volunteer project, to a musical extravaganza.

The city of Dallas is finishing up nearly two weeks of events that will continue through Jan. 25. Fort Worth and other cities in the Metroplex are also holding events on Monday.

Dallas

The City of Dallas’ theme for this year’s events is “Linking Many Cultures Together for One Dream.” 

10 a.m. | The intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd and Holmes St.

The march will have over 250 entries including floats, marching bands, drill teams and dance troops. 

National Day of Racial Healing - Jan. 21

:

9 - 11:45 a.m. | J. Erik Jonsson Central Library | 1515 Young St.

will continue their community discussions and introduce racial healing techniques with stress management consultant Amanda Muhammad. The event will also include a conversation professor Mehrsa Baradaran, author of “The Color of Money: Black Banks and The Racial Wealth Gap.” 

Evening Event: 

7-9 p.m. | Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum, and the Trinity River 

Hosted by American Indian Heritage Day and Dallas Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation, this event will explore the idea of what Dallas would be like if it was never colonized and native people maintained sovereignty.

10 a.m. - 2 p.m.| Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum | 300 N Houston St.

Intended to empower students to become advocates, this event will include a town hall and sessions that will explore King’s legacy and impact.

Fort Worth

This year is the 35th annual MLK celebration  for the City of Fort Worth. 

11 a.m. | Intersection of Ninth St. and Commerce St. 

The parade will start at 11 a.m. at Ninth and Commerce Streets, then head West on Ninth Street, North on Houston Street, East on Weatherford Street and South on Main Street. The celebration will end with a rally at Sundance Square Plaza from 12 to 1:30 p.m. Attendees can expect performances by step groups, dancers, high school bands, theater groups and drill teams.

Arlington

Arlington is hosting a service event and a musical event to celebrate King’s birthday.

9 a.m. | University of Texas at Arlington

If you’d like to volunteer, report to the Maverick Activity Center at 500 Nedderman Dr. for an assignment. The first 150 volunteers to show up will receive free Arlington MLK t-shirts. 

4 - 6 p.m. | Fielder Road Baptist Church | 1323 W. Pioneer Pkwy.

Attendees at this free event can look forward to an elementary school choir of 500, soloists, drummers, dancers and a step team performance. 

Grand Prairie

Grand Prairie is hosting its own parade to commemorate King's legacy. 

10 a.m. | City Hall Plaza | 300 West Main St.

The parade will start at Grand Prairie City Hall, in front of the Liberty Bell, and end with a program honoring King’s legacy at Dalworth Recreation Center. 

Elizabeth Myong is ĻӰԺ’s Arts Collaborative Reporter. She came to ĻӰԺ from New York, where she worked as a CNBC fellow covering breaking news and politics. Before that, she freelanced as a features reporter for the Houston Chronicle and a modern arts reporter for Houstonia Magazine.