Community Invited To The 2024 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration

Mayor Kerry Thomson invites the community to the City of Bloomington Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration on Monday, January 15, 2024, at 6 p.m. at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. This is a free event open to the public.

Sharing Dr. King’s sentiments, the City of Bloomington Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration Commission is committed to amplifying his message regarding the power of education during the 2024 celebration and beyond. This year’s theme is Unlocking Freedom: The Transformative and Liberating Power of Education.

This year’s keynote speaker is Jesse Hagopian, an award-winning educator and a leading voice on issues of educational equity, the school-to-prison-pipeline, standardized testing, the Black Lives Matter at School movement, and social justice unionism. Jesse’s writings on topics such as education, the Movement for Black Lives, athlete activism, Haiti, and U.S. politics have been published in The Seattle Times, Salon, The Progressive, Truth Out, Common Dreams, Black Agenda Report, the International Socialist Review, and Alternet. Jesse’s commentaries have been featured in numerous national media outlets including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, NBC’s “Education Nation,” PBS News Hour with Gwen Ifill, CNN, Democracy Now!, Al Jazeera America, Keith Olberman’s Countdown, The Dan Rather Report, The Real News Network, The Laura Flanders Show, and C-Span’s “Book TV.” Learn more about Jesse Hagopian.

Additionally, the 2024 Birthday Celebration will include performances by Indiana University African American Choral Ensemble, Fairview World Music, and Highland Park Elementary School Choir, as well as a presentation of the 2024 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Award.

Major underwriters for this event include City of Bloomington Community and Family Resources Department, Cook Group, Inc., Ivy Tech Community College, Marcus Debro and Family, and the Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

For a list of Martin Luther King Day of Service volunteer opportunities and other activities, visit bloomingtonvolunteernetwork.org/mlk or contact Michelle Moss, 812-349-3433 or mlk@bloomington.in.gov.