Event Time Updated for Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration on Jan. 19

Following the coordination between City staff and the leadership of the resident-led Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration Commission, the event time for the Annual Commemoration on Monday, January 19, has been moved.

The adjustment reflects scheduling and availability considerations for both program participants and community members. Several individuals involved in the event are navigating travel and competing commitments that weekend, and organizers also sought to ensure that residents wishing to attend the celebration are able to do so without having to choose between overlapping community events. The celebration will now take place from 5:30 to 7:15 p.m. at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater (114 E. Kirkwood Avenue).  the Indiana Hoosiers in the College Football Playoff National Championship

The event remains free and open to the public.

Scheduled performer Marietta Simpson is no longer able to participate in the program. In her place, three students from the African American Choral Ensemble (AACE) will perform “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” All other details of the program remain unchanged. The 2026 commemoration will continue to focus on the contributions of women in the civil rights movement, with the theme Soul, Spirit & Sacrifice: Honoring the Legacy of Coretta Scott King and the Women Who Faced America to Save U.S., and will feature keynote speaker Dr. Traci Parker, musical performances, and the presentation of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Award.

The Commission's annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration is a production of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration Commission. Learn more about the commission at bloomington.in.gov/mlk.

For more information, contact Aubrey Seader at [email protected].

NOTE: This release has been updated to correct a previously published version.