
St. Louis recently marked Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a series of events designed to honor the civil rights icon's enduring legacy and promote community engagement. Over 1,500 individuals participated in the Missouri History Museum's MLK Community Celebration, which featured storytelling, workshops, and interactive activities aimed at educating and motivating attendees, as FOX 2 Now reported. Parent Matt Hiatt expressed the impact of the event on younger generations, stating, "The kids learned a lot about MLK and his impact on our country and some of the great things he did."
Commemorating the legacy of Dr. King extended beyond the museum, with numerous parades, free concerts, and a call to citizens by various organizations to partake in acts of service, as part of the collective remembrance and improvement efforts cities across the Bi-State area made which was highlighted by KSDK.
In a more somber remembrance, the Touhill Performing Arts Center hosted an event that underlined the ongoing need for resistance and justice for Black Americans, pinpointing the unfinished business of King's movement. A keynote address was delivered by Fredrika Newton, president and co-founder of the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation, who reflected on her involvement with the Black Panther Party and the challenges it faced. "The work of serving the community and trying to improve the conditions of the community for Black and poor people was extremely hard," she recounted, "and how much the government did not want them to do it," according to St. Louis Public Radio. The event included powerful musical performances, notably Alayna Epps of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and IN UNISON Chorus, who sang "My Soul's Been Anchored in the Lord" - a spiritual deeply connected to the legacy of the civil rights movement and the artistic expression of Black resistance and dignity.