3 ways to honor King on MLK Holiday

Trying to find a meaningful way to spend this MLK holiday? Looking to bring a little more depth to the day? We have three ideas for ways you can honor Martin Luther King Jr. by doing something to remember his legacy.

1. Visit It Takes A Village at Gantt Center

Where:  The Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture is located at 551 South Tryon Street.

What: This year’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration theme is inspired by the Gantt’s partnership with Levine Museum of the New South in presenting the Smithsonian’s Men of Change: Power. Triumph. Truth. exhibition. The Gantt and Levine Museum are collaborating with local and regional artists, historians, and institutions to uplift the power of collective voice and action. “It Takes a Village” runs today from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., is open to all ages and the cost is free. The program includes Children’s Storytime, arts and crafts, the animated feature-length film, “Our Friend, Martin,” and more. Click here for the full schedule.

 2. Stream Audiobooks about King from Charlotte Mecklenburg Library

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library and Hoopla are providing a series of King-related audiobooks for free with a library card. Check out the full list here, which includes Speeches by Martin Luther King in which you can hear straight from the man himself,  A Place to Land, which reflects on Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech and the movement that it galvanized, and Letter from Birmingham Jail, written by King explaining why blacks can no longer be victims of inequality.

3. Sign up for a community service project around Charlotte

Courtesy of the Harlow Family.

SHARE Charlotte offers a list of community service opportunities throughout this holiday weekend. Smarty mom Kiara Harlow has made a habit of signing up her three young sons to spend the day honoring King in this way. They’ve volunteered for Trees Charlotte, packed travel kits for Foster Village and helped with neighborhood cleanups. Here’s what she tells her boys about why: “We volunteer so we can help keep Dr. King’s dream alive of creating a community where everyone feels loved and valued. Since his life was cut short, it’s our job to complete his mission.” Amen, Kiara!