By Aria Brent
AFRO Staff Writer
abrent@afro.com
Rev. Al Sharpton, founder and president of the National Action Network (NAN), has announced a series of events he will lead in Washington, D.C. and New York City during the week of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday.
Sharpton will honor the mission and work of the celebrated activist at a time where voting rights, economic opportunity and criminal justice reform remain under threat.
“As we honor Dr. King’s legacy this year, our nation again stands at a crossroads in the fight for the soul of America. On the eve of Donald Trump’s second term, we need to be clear as day: Dr. King did not march, preach and lay down his life so that we would one day again retreat into the shadows of hatred and division,”said Sharpton in a statement. “The man who has made it his mission to suppress the vote, demonize diversity and roll back our rights will take the oath again and this moment demands that we be louder, stronger and more determined than ever to keep Dr. King’s dream alive.”
Three days of events will kick off with a legislative breakfast on Dr. King’s birthday, Jan. 15 in Washington, D.C. The events will conclude on Jan. 20 with a rally and a march in the nation’s capital.
The MLK Birthday Breakfast will be held on Jan. 15 at the Mayflower Hotel, located at 1127 Connecticut Ave in Northwest, Washington, D.C.
NAN’s Annual Policy Forum at the House of Justice in Harlem will be hosted on Jan.18. Federal, state and city leaders from the New York City area will join Rev. Sharpton to elaborate on how they continue to advance Dr. King’s dream for a just, fair nation.
The MLK Day gathering will be held at the historic Metropolitan AME Church in D.C., where both Frederick Douglass and Rosa Parks are interred.
EVENT DETAILS
MLK Day Birthday Breakfast
Date: January 15, 2025
Time: 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.
Location: Mayflower Hotel
1127 Connecticut Ave NW,
Washington, D.C., 20036
Rev. Sharpton will host the annual MLK Day Legislative Breakfast, welcoming elected officials, civil rights leaders and other prominent community figures to reflect on Dr. King’s legacy and discuss methods to combat the ongoing attacks against diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and voting rights.
King Day Policy Forum at the NAN House of Justice
Date: January 18, 2025
Time: 9 a.m.
Location: NAN House of Justice
106 W 145th St
New York, NY 10039
The King Day Policy Forum will explore strategies for protecting diversity, equity and inclusion policies, voting rights and other detrimental civil rights as the nation prepares for the second Trump administration.
MLK Day Rally and March in Washington, DC
Date: January 20, 2025
Time + Location:
10 a.m. — Rally begins at McPherson Square, Washington, D.C.
10:30 a.m. — March to Metropolitan AME Church, located 1518 M Street NW
12 p.m. — Rally at Metropolitan AME Church begins
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