Six ways to spend Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Metro Detroit

Even during pandemics, MLK Day of Service trudges on

A few dozen volunteers are still expected to make it out to the Patton Recreation Center to cleanup one of Detroit's neighborhoods on Monday. They'll be boarding up abandoned homes and cleaning vacant lots - an annual tradition.

DETROIT - It might be a federal holiday, but for many people, MLK Day is a day of service. That means they'll be spending it contributing to the community in one way or another.

From virtual events to neighborhood cleanups, not even pandemics can stop the say of service.

Springwells Village Community Cleanup - hosted by AmeriCorps

Beginning at 8 a.m., the neighborhood cleanup event will kick off at the Patton Recreation Center. Hosted by AmeriCorps, volunteers will go to 2301 Woodmere in Detroit - before heading out on assignment to board up homes and cleanup blight.

The limited in-person event will also have a virtual event with the Wayne State Center for Urban Studies that will discuss its urban safety program.

WHEN: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
WHERE: Virtual event at link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83138218100?pwd=SHJTYnRJSUN5QmJoWFYrMG0rRFM3QT09

MLK Day 2021: Chaos or Community

Members of the Black Law Students Association will have a virtual panel presentation called MLK Day 2021: Chaos or Community at noon.

Panelists will include Monica Lewis-Patrick, CEO of We the People Detroit and Victoria Burton-Harris, an assistant prosecutor of Washtenaw County. Both have been activist members of Detroit, with Lewis-Patrick engaged in helping people get access to clean water. Burton-Harris works as a student advocate for underprivileged families.

WHEN: Noon-2 p.m.
WHERE: Virtual event at link: https://cooley.webex.com/cooley/e.php?MTID=mb20eacaeb83a6cfae89b1c26a7502cc2

Detroit Historical Musuem hold virtual event MLK Streets: More than a name

There are more than 900 streets across America named after Martin Luther King Jr. The city's Black Historic Sites Committee and the Detroit Historical Museum will present an in-depth look at how race and geography played a role in naming the streets after the civil rights activist.

The virtual event will include a panel discussion and special viewing of a 15-minute film short King Blvd.

Speaking on the panel will be Earl Hardy, writer and producer of the short, Dr. Derek Alderman, cultural geographer and professor at the University of Tennessee, and Jamon Jordan, a local historian and founder of The Black Scroll Network, History & Tours.

WHEN: 1 to 3 p.m.
WHERE: https://detroithistorical.org/detroit-historical-museum/events-calendar/events-listing/virtual-event-mlk-streets-more-name

Community march in Romulus

Beginning Monday morning, the Romulus Ministerial Alliance will host a march from the Romulus Community Baptist Church to the Pentecost Baptist Church. Afterwards, a short program will follow with remarks from several members of the Romulus Community.

Detroit Phoenix Center assembles resilience kits

The Detroit Phoenix Center is partnering with the Presidential Inaugural Committee to assemble 500 resilience kits that will be distributed to youth and families serviced by the non-profit.

The community group has seen the need for its services skyrocket amid the pandemic. To help buoy those that need help the most, volunteers will gather safely to create kits made up of DPC resources, mental health support and study tips, hand warmers, hats, scarves or gloves, feminine products, hygiene essentials, lotion, deodorant, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and chapstick and so much more.

WHEN: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
WHERE: One can register for the virtual event and learn more here: https://www.mobilize.us/nationaldayofservice/event/368983/

Original Art Show Part II

The closing ceremony of a tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. at the Showroom Gallery in Southfield will feature paintings by Priscilla Phifer and Marcel Stewart. Phifer's series Black Lines Matter draws inspiration from the social movement that became one of the biggest stories of 2020. Each painting features black lines that "represent a diverse population of black people: bold, straight, thin, heavy, young, old, women, men, children, gay" who were killed by white police officers.

The unveiling of the new art will show a 36X48 acrylic on Canvas that's entitled "Still Uncivil".

WHEN: 1 to 6 p.m.
WHERE: Umoja Fine Arts Gallery, the Crossroads Building at 16250 Northland Drive, Suite 102, Southfield.