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SALT LAKE CITY — Utahns have the opportunity to honor the legacy of civil rights giant Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday in a variety of ways, ranging from service projects to marches.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day has been observed as a federal holiday since 1986. However, Utah was one of the last states to recognize the holiday. In fact, it wasn't until 2000 that then-Gov. Mike Leavitt signed a bill recognizing the third Monday of each January as Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
A bill in 1986 from Utah's first Black state senator, Terry Williams, to recognize MLK Day was considered highly controversial at the time, with student newspapers calling the failure to pass Williams' bill a "disgrace," Axios Salt Lake City reports.
The state has come a long way since then. Although former Gov. Norm Bangerter established the state's Martin Luther King Jr. Human Rights Commission in 1991, the Utah Legislature codified the commission into state statute during the 2019 session.
The commission helps promote and coordinate efforts around the holiday. The necessity of that work is highlighted by a recent survey that found 63% of U.S. residents don't know about King's accomplishments and were unaware of his key contributions to the civil rights movement.
In an effort to bridge that knowledge gap, the Utah Martin Luther King Jr. Human Rights Commission has released an online tool kit that includes multimedia resources about King's work, such as reflections from Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and other Utah leaders, and a list of ways to celebrate the holiday.
"This online toolkit (is) composed of a carefully curated set of resources and tools to support Utahns across the state to learn, reflect, and practice Dr. King's principles of nonviolence to build a beloved community throughout the day, month and year," according to a newsletter promoting the kit.
Below are a few ways to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which comes with the slogan "A Day On, Not a Day Off."
Participate in NAACP breakfast and march in Ogden
The public is invited to a free community breakfast at 9-10:30 a.m. in the Marshall White Center in Ogden, which was the only public building in Utah named after an African-American for decades. Following the breakfast, the march to the Ogden Amphitheater (about a 10-minute walk from the center) will begin.
Those interested in volunteering can call 801-629-8346 or email mckaylathomas@ogdencity.com.
Choose love over hate in Salt Lake City
The University of Utah is hosting a series of events from Jan. 14-20 to honor Martin Luther King Jr., who taught that "darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
The events include a rally and march from East High School to Kingsbury Hall on the U.'s campus on Monday at 2:30 p.m. The rally will include musical performances and remarks from U. officials, Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson and Nubia Peña, the governor's senior adviser for equity and opportunity.
Serve at Thanksgiving Point
Thanksgiving Point is hosting a community service project Monday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Museum of Natural Curiosity's cafe. Volunteers will assemble food kits for students and families in need. Admission to the museum is not included with this event.
A day of service in Cache Valley
Utah State University is celebrating the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with a weekend of events that include a Juneteenth fundraiser concert featuring the Debra Bonner Unity Gospel Choir on Saturday and a day of service on Monday.
Tickets to the concert are $20 for adults and $10 for children and USU students. The day of service is open to all USU students and Cache Valley residents. Descriptions of and registration for the service projects are available on USU's website.
Create art in Salt Lake City
Urban Arts Gallery (located at The Gateway) is hosting a "What's Ya Dream?" workshop on Monday, 1-3 p.m. The family-friendly event will help kids create their "dream world" using paint, colored pencils, markers and crafts. Artist Shalandrea Houchen will also guide families starting with yoga and empowerment through verbal affirmations before the workshop.
Visit national parks
The U.S National Park Service has waived entry fees for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The fee waiver includes the service's parks, like Arches and Capitol Reef, as well as other places under its domain, such as the Timpanogos Cave National Monument.
A list of the nine National Park Service sites in Utah is available on the National Park Foundation website.
