Honoring the Life and Work of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

About The Event

This event will be a powerful community gathering honoring the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through music, discussion, and action. The program includes live gospel music, a panel on Dr. King’s unfinished work, interactive breakout sessions, and a closing drum circle to inspire collective action.

The date is significant: Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968. This gathering is a robust call to action—blending culture, knowledge, and community to honor his legacy and advance his fight for equity and justice.

We begin with uplifting spiritual and gospel music to set the tone. A thought-provoking panel follows, exploring Dr. King’s unfinished work and its impact on Greater Cleveland today. From there, we move into interactive breakout sessions to reflect, strategize, and find ways to take meaningful action. Each group will share key takeaways before we close, as we began, with culture—this time, a drum circle to embolden and energize us as we carry forward the work of justice.

A continental breakfast will be served from 10:00-10:30am as part of the program. RSVP by emailing racialequitybuddies@fhcpresb.org, or by calling the church office.

Panelists:
Matthew Ahn, Attorney & Criminal Law & Justice System Expert
Brenda Glass, Trauma Expert
Chris Knestrick, Director of the Northeast Homeless Coalition

Moderator and Cultural Artists:
Maria Smith, Attorney & Advocate
Professor Olu Manns, Africana Studies, Kent State
Donna Walton, Gospel Artist

Our drum major for justice, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., not only stood with the poor, oppressed, and marginalized—he was treated as one of them. We strive to revive that spirit within ourselves, acting boldly in the solidarity and justice he exemplified.

Honor MLK by Demanding Real Change. Dr. King knew that justice requires more than words—it demands radical structural change. He spoke unapologetically about systemic racism, writing in A Testament of Hope (1969), “White America must recognize that justice for Black people cannot be achieved without radical changes in the structure of our society.” In Stride Toward Freedom (1958), he reminded us, “True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice. In August 1967, King spoke about the three evils “the sickness of racism, excessive materialism, and militarism.”.

Join Us. Stand in Solidarity. Take Action.

Sponsors: Racial Equity Buddies of Greater Cleveland • Federated Church UCC,  Chagrin Falls • Pretrial Support Team of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Cleveland • The Eastside Citizens’ Empowerment Foundation of East Cleveland • The Peace and Justice Ministry of Lyndhurst Community of Faith Church