The 2025 King Celebration in Gainesville will again feature several events organized by the Martin Luther King Jr. Commission of Florida.
The highlight of the 41st Anniversary King Celebration ’25 Activities will be the 40th annual Hall of Fame Gala to be held Saturday, beginning with a networking reception at 5:30 p.m. followed by a dinner and social.
The keynote speaker will be Cayden Parker, a senior at Santa Fe High School and recipient of this year’s Edna M. Hart Keeper of the Dream Scholarship. This year’s Hall of Fame inductee will be Albert White, who has been a community activist in Gainesville and Alachua County for more than 50 years.
The theme for this year’s King Celebration locally is “A Resilient People: We’re Not Going Back!”
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The significance of the theme is that there are a lot of people who think the old way of doing things is still OK, when in reality, the fight for equality is far from over, said Rodney Long, president and founder of the King Commission.
The fight to keep from going back to Jim Crow era laws and tactics to disenfranchise people and communities is still alive and thriving, despite efforts by some elected officials to strip away gains made that promote equality and more freedom for minority communities, Long said.
The 2025 King Celebration in Gainesville will again feature several events organized by the Martin Luther King Jr. Commission of Florida.
“America is great now because we have local, state and federal laws that ensure we are treated equally,” Long said.
The Black community and other underserved communities in America are resilient and will not allow the hand of time to go back to Jim Crow because those who fought and overcame Jim Crow tactics will never be forgotten, Long said.
Besides the gala, other events to be held during King Celebration 2025 in Alachua County include:
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“Remembering Martin and Coretta”: Program to be held 6:30 p.m., Jan. 14, at 1945 NE Eighth Ave. Free.
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“36th Year Legacy of the Edna M. Hart Keeper of the Dream Scholarship Award Panel Discussion”: Town hall symposium held at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 15 at DaySpring. It will feature alumni and recipients of the scholarship award discussing the award benefits and its impact on their education and where they are now.
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“4th annual Stephan P. Mickle Jazz Concert”: Concert will be held at 7 p.m. Jan 17 at the Bo Diddley Downtown Community Plaza and will feature the “When Gospel Meets Jazz Band” led by trumpeter Lenard Perry. Free.
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“Who’s In The Box – Unplugged”: Play presented by the King Commission at 7 p.m. Jan. 18 at the P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School at 1080 SW 11th St. It is written and directed by Romona Jackson. Free.
National holiday events on Jan. 20 will begin at 11 a.m. with the Hall of Fame Enshrinement program that will feature White being enshrined and Parker being recognized at the MLK Memorial Gardens at 200 E. University Ave. in downtown Gainesville. Free shuttle bus service will be provided by the city of Gainesville from the King Center at 1028 NE 14th St. to Bo Diddley Plaza from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
The annual march/parade will begin at noon at Bo Diddley Plaza and proceed down East University Avenue before turning north on Waldo Road and ending at the King Center.
The march/parade will be followed at 2 p.m. by the National Holiday Celebration that will feature “The D.R. Band and Soul Fire,” spoken word and more.
Long said a new twist to the celebration this year will be the inaugural year of the Edna M. Hart Alumni Scholarship that will be sponsored by past recipients who want to give back to the community.
“The goal is to have the alumni scholarship match our scholarship,” said Long, adding that the scholarship has given away more than $500,000 since it was established in 1989.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Gainesville area to celebrate MLK National Holiday with activities