Martin Luther King Day celebration returns to Music Hall this year

Nearly 50 years after the death of Martin Luther King Jr., people will celebrate his legacy around the Queen City on Monday.  This is the MLK Coalition’s 43rd annual celebration of the holiday in Cincinnati, dedicated to keeping King’s legacy vibrant in our community with 2018's theme of “If Not Now, When?” Beginning at 10:30 a.m., hundreds of people will gather outside the Freedom Center’s Harriet Tubman Theater. After brief remarks and prayers, marchers will proceed to Fountain Square for an interfaith prayer service at 11 a.m. before continuing to a commemorative celebration at noon at Music Hall in Over-the-Rhine. Littisha Bates, associate professor of sociology at the University of Cincinnati, will serve as the keynote speaker at Music Hall. With 2018 marking the 50th anniversary of King’s assassination, Bates will focus her remarks on his radical message of justice and equality and what challenges face us today. The award-winning MLK Chorale, under the direction of Steve Milloy, will perform traditional and contemporary pieces, being joined for one number by an interfaith student choir. Additional highlights include special recognition of retired Judge Nathaniel Jones and an original poem from WordPlay Cincy Scribes.  Metro’s Rosa Parks Bus, dedicated to the spirit of Mrs. Parks, will participate in the march, providing limited seating for those unable to make the one mile walk from the Freedom Center to Music Hall. Many area religious leaders will participate during the march and later at Music Hall.