West DFW News

DALLAS - The City of Dallas is kicking off its annual MLK Celebration Week on Jan. 10, 2023.

Hosted by the Office of Community Care, HELP, Faith Forward, Work Force Solutions, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Office of Equity and Inclusion, City of Dallas Youth Commission and other partners, the week designates a time to reflect on the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

MLK Celebration Week starts with a wreath laying ceremony on Jan. 10 and wraps up with a parade on Jan. 16.

2023 marks the 41st MLK Celebration Week.

“The 2023 MLK Celebration Theme Daring to Dream: The Radical Imagination of a New Generation causes us to remember the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. which are befitting for today and will propel our sons, daughters and heirs into the future,” said Candace Wicks, vice chair of the MLK Community Center Advisory Board. “He stated: ‘one of the great liabilities of history is that all too many people fail to remain awake through great periods of social change. Every society has its protectors of the status quo and its fraternities of the indifferent who are notorious for sleeping through revolutions. But today our very survival depends on our ability to stay awake, to adjust to new ideas, to remain vigilant and to face the challenge of change.’”

Clara Brown-Trimble, chair of the MLK Community Center Advisory Board, added: “It’s 2023 and it still Starts with me, Life’s most persistent and urgent question is “What are you doing for others?”

A longstanding tradition of Celebration Week, the MLK Scholarship and Awards Gala will take place on Jan. 14. Its goal is to support educational aspirations for City of Dallas students and honor residents whose contributions to their community reflect the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This year’s event is made possible with support from Platinum Sponsor, AT&T.

This year’s keynote speaker is Rev. Dr. Gwendolyn Boyd.

Originally from Montgomery, Ala., Boyd graduated summa cum laude from Alabama State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics and double minor in physics and music. She attended Yale University for graduate school, where she was the first African American woman to earn a Master of Science degree in mechanical engineering. She later received a Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry from Howard University.

Boyd is nationally recognized for her work in STEM education and was nominated by President Barack Obama in 2009 to serve as a trustee to the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation. She also served on the president’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans during Obama’s presidency.

For more information and to purchase tickets, click here. To view the 2023 MLK Celebration Week events, click here.

The full list of events is below:

10 a.m. to 11 a.m., Tuesday. Jan. 10: Wreath Laying Ceremony

11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 11: Job Fair

12 to 1 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 12: Youth Summit

2 to 3:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 12: Day of Prayer and Reflection

9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Friday Jan. 13: Equity Symposium

7 p.m., Friday, Jan. 13: Candle Lighting Ceremony

9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 14: MLK Fest – Community Clean Up

6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 14: Scholarships and Awards Gala

10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday, Jan. 16: MLK Day Parade

Original source can be found here.