Celebrate Martin Luther King Day at Events in Across Maine

Fifty-five years ago civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis where he was supporting striking sanitation workers. On Monday, January 16, Mainers will honor MLK’s legacy of fighting for racial and economic justice at events across the state.

The 2023 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast Celebration, co-sponsored by the Greater Bangor Area Branch NAACP and the University of Maine Division of Student Life, will be held on Monday, January 16th in the Wells Conference Center on UMaine’s campus in Orono. Tickets to this event are $20 and $15 for children ages 12 and under. Advance registration is strongly recommended. Register here.

Bates College will hold a series of presentations, including lectures, workshops, film discussions and more at its Celebrating “Art and Activism,” MLK Day 2023 over two days, Jan. 15 and 16, in Lewiston. Actor and playwright Keith Hamilton Cobb will deliver Monday morning’s key note address at the Peter J. Gomes Chapel on College St. Lewiston at 9am. The event is free. Visit the event’s website for more information.

Kennebunk's 20th Annual Celebration in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr will be held on Monday, January 16 from 10am to noon at the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church at 114 Main St. in Kennebunk. The event will feature music, a reception and keynote speaker Krystal Williams, whose topic is “The Fierce Urgency of Now: Answering the Call of Justice During Uncertain Times.” Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for students: $5, both in-person and on Zoom.