Honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. in Alexandria

The City of Alexandria has honored Martin Luther King, Jr. with a memorial program since 1973. The program is sponsored by the City of Alexandria in cooperation with local religious, spiritual, civic and social organizations.

Page updated on Jan 15, 2021 at 7:07 PM

48th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Program

The City of Alexandria honors the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in a virtual community program premiering on Friday, January 15, at 7 p.m. The program, ”The Fierce Urgency of Building the Beloved Community," will be presented by the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Planning Committee. 

MLK 2021 Community Program video

This year’s celebration features opening remarks by Mayor Justin Wilson; a keynote address by former Virginia Governor L. Douglas Wilder; entertainment by two-time Grammy nominated singer and songwriter Eric Roberson; music from the historic Alfred Street Baptist Church and Westminster Presbyterian Church choirs; a poem by Alexandria Poet Laureate KaNikki Jakarta; and remarks by community activists and leaders.

Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Staff Celebration

This year marks the 25th annual staff celebration. This event is an opportunity to reflect and honor the great life and legacy of Dr. King, and recognize that the fight to end discrimination and promote healing and equality involves all of us. City employees can access this program on AlexNet.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Poster Exhibition

The Alexandria Black History Museum with the Office of Historic Alexandria sponsors a yearly Student Poster Exhibition for Alexandria City Public School students, grades 2-5.

Teaching about Martin Luther King, Jr. 

The listed resources are recommended for Alexandria City Public School teachers, in preparing classes on the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Preserving African American History

Martin Luther King, Jr. envisioned a nation that embraced diversity and equality and on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we remember and celebrate his work, his teaching and his legacy.

This year's Keynote Speaker, L. Douglas Wilder, became the first African American governor in the United States and we celebrate his achievements, as his gubernatorial archive finally becomes available at the Library of Virginia.

Preserving the past informs the present and inspires the future. Ensuring the preservation of African American history and the legacy of the work, achievements, excellence, and struggle of those who came before us is vital to telling a more accurate and fuller story of America's history

You can be an active part of preserving a slice of that history by supporting the Alexandria Black History Museum's Moss Kendrix Collection in the Virginia Association of Museum's Top 10 Endangered Artifacts contest. This year's theme, "Conserving Diversity" is dedicated to shining an overdue light on the objects in Virginia's museums that help to tell untold stories of our past. This important archive documents the work and legacy of Moss Kendrix, the father of black public relations, who helped to remove stereotypes in advertising. Help us conserve this collection by voting every day through January 20  

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