Dallas will hold its 45th Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Week from Jan. 12 to 18, with eight events running from a City Hall prayer service to the MLK Day Parade, according to a planning memo for a City Council committee meeting Monday.
The Office of Housing and Community Empowerment and the MLK Community Center Advisory Board chose the theme "Let Love Have the Last Word." The memo goes to the Quality of Life, Arts and Culture Committee on Nov. 16.
The schedule
- Tuesday, Jan. 12: Day of reflection, prayer and dedication, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., in the main lobby of City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
- Wednesday, Jan. 13: Job fair, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Briscoe Carpenter Livestock Center, 1403 Washington St.
- Thursday, Jan. 14: Faith-based housing summit, 9 a.m. to noon, Communities Foundation of Texas, 5500 Caruth Haven Lane.
- Friday, Jan. 15: Drivers of Opportunity Symposium, 9 a.m. to noon, back at the livestock center, then a candle lighting ceremony from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the MLK Recreation Center, 2901 Pennsylvania Ave.
- Saturday, Jan. 16: MLK Fest, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., 2922 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., followed by the scholarship and awards gala at 6:30 p.m. at the Renaissance Dallas Hotel on North Stemmons Freeway.
- Monday, Jan. 18: MLK Day Parade, 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., from Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and S.M. Wright Freeway to Fair Park.
Gala, scholarships and tickets
Ronald Kirk is listed as the gala's keynote speaker, with Steven Dial as emcee and Roland Parrish receiving the Trail Blazer award. The gala recognizes partners of the MLK Community Center and students who win the celebration's scholarships.
Scholarship applications are due at 11:59 p.m. Dec. 4. The memo says the ticket website is set to go live Sunday, Nov. 15. Early-bird gala tickets cost $172 from Dec. 1 through Dec. 19, and general admission is $215.
