Montgomery County Honors Life and Legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

For Immediate Release: Monday, January 11, 2021

Montgomery County will host the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday and celebration 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 at Comcast/RCN Channel 6 and HD Channel 996 or Verizon Channel 30 and County Cable Facebook. 

This year’s event will include a special greetings and remarks by County Executive Marc Elrich and President of County Council Tom Hucker and introductory program remarks by Director Office of Human Rights James Stowe. Montgomery County Council Members will recite brief excerpts from Dr. King’s speeches written in HIS own words as four students share personal letters addressed to “Dear Martin” in THEIR own words. This virtual event will feature an interactive segment that will allow the viewing audience to create MLK-inspired art in real time, while enjoying uplifting thought-provoking performances by Chelsey Green, Dem Raider Boyz, Akhmedova Ballet Academy and many more.

As a finale, world-renowned jazz musician and Montgomery County’s own, Marcus Johnson will end 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 district wide SSL opportunity. More details are available on the MLK Student Service Learning project page.  This is a free family-friendly event, and all are encouraged to “share the show” on their social media pages.  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.  Although not necessary, we encourage you to RSVP for the total number of intended viewers in your household. 

For more information, visit the event website.

Release ID: 21-022
Media Contact: Judy Stiles 240-463-2442
Categories: Holiday