Commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy as a family with one of these local events.
Lynda Blackmon Lowery at the New-York Historical Society
Saturday, January 18
2pm
Come hear Lynda Blackmon Lowery, the youngest participant in the 1965 Selma to Montgomery march, share her experiences in the protest as recounted in her book Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom.
The New York Historical Society will also host a civil rights-themed scavenger hunt all weekend long to help kid 8 and up delve into the current special exhibit, “Freedom Journey 1965: Photos of the Selma to Montgomery March,” created by Stephen Somerstein. Free with museum admission, 170 Central Park West at Richard Gilder Way (77th Street), nyhistory.org
ConstructionKids “I Have a Dream” Day
Monday, January 19
9am-4pm
Join ConstructionKids on Martin Luther King Day for a project that incorporates the Lincoln Memorial as well as elements of Dr. King’s most famous speech. This fun day of creative, educational building is appropriate for both new and experienced builders. Ages pre-K-4. $140, BLDG 92, at 63 Flushing Avenue, Brooklyn constructionkids.com
Martin Luther King March with Manhattan Country School
Monday, January 19
10am
Join the 8th graders of the Manhattan County Day School as they lead a march from Harlem to the Upper East Side. Students will stop at designated points and give speeches on current social justice issues as a way to commemorate MLK. Free, begins at 2351 Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Boulevard, manhattancountryschool.org
The 29th Annual Tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. at BAM
Monday, January 19
10:30am
Join Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams and Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York Brooklyn at BAM for NYC’s largest public celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. There will be a keynote address by Dr. Cornel West, as well as live music, a free community film screening, and a free art exhibition. Free, 30 Lafayette Avenue, bam.org
Martin Luther King Jr. Day at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan
Monday, January 19
10:30am
Join CMOM for a day-long celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. Make your own children’s book honoring Dr. King and his wife, Coretta Scott King (5 and up); help create a mosaic of Dr. King’s portrait; and help CMOM and their Upper West Side neighbor Mugi Studio decorate fun and educational ceramic tiles to decorate CMOM’s partner outreach locations. Free with museum admission, 212 West 83rd Street, cmom.org
Harlem Gospel Choir MLK Matinee
Monday, January 19
Doors open at 11:30am; show at 12:30pm
Catch the world-famous Harlem Gospel Choir at BB King Blues Club on Monday for an MLK Matinee. $22 in advance, $26 day of show; 237 West 42nd Street, bbkingblues.com
Brooklyn Children’s Museum
Monday, January 19
11:30am
The Brooklyn Children’s Museum is hosting a variety of celebratory MLK activities on Monday. Workshops include “Let’s Join Hands” for children 5 and under, which will teach kids about diversity and tolerance through storytelling and song, and “Let’s March!” for children 4 and up, who will watch footage of the March on Washington and create posters for peace and justice. Plus, don’t miss performances by Crown Heights’ own Berean Community Drumline (at 1:30 & 2:30pm). Free with museum admission, 145 Brooklyn Avenue, brooklynkids.org
Seneca Village Tour in the Upper East Side
Monday, January 19
12-1:30pm
Dive into local NYC history during the Seneca Village Tour and learn the history of the city’s first known African-American property owners, who owned land that would become part of Central Park. The tour will last for an hour and fifteen minutes and requires walking up some inclines. $15, Central Park at 85th Street and Central Park West, centralparkNYC.org
Big Onion Walking Tour: Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Historic Harlem
Monday, January 19
1pm
Learn about Harlem as an African American cultural center during Big Onion’s Walking Tour. The guides will take you through the vast history of the area, starting as it’s foundation at a Dutch colony in the 1600s through its transformation into a hub of African American business, politics, arts, and culture. . Attendees should meet in the front of the Schomburg Center. $20 for adults, $15 for students; 135th Street and Lenox (Malcolm X) Avenue, bigonion.com
Martin Luther King Jr. Day at the Lefferts House
Monday, January 19
2 & 3pm
The Lefferts House will host an afternoon of storytelling and song led by Tammy Hall to celebrate MLK’s work. Hall will incorporate stories and songs from around the world based on the theme of freedom. Admission is free and all ages are welcome. 452 Flatbush Avenue, prospectpark.org
