Community events to mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day

GROSSE POINTE FARMS/DETROIT — The public will have a couple of opportunities to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day close to home.

From noon to 5 p.m. Jan. 20, Grosse Pointe Congregational Church at 240 Chalfonte Ave. in Grosse Pointe Farms will be hosting what’s being called, “Day of Hope and Advocacy: Fulfilling Dr. King’s Dream.” Attendees can drop in at any time for music, meditation, yoga, art, dance, a potluck and more.

Kelli Wereley, of Harper Woods, the chief organizer of this event, said in an email interview that this event is free and for all ages, and no registration is needed.

“We wanted to create MLK’s dream as much as possible,” Wereley said.

Besides Wereley, other organizers include Lori Zurvalec, Rose Bud, Nicole Castka and the Rev. Richard Yeager-Stiver, pastor of Grosse Pointe Congregational Church.

Wereley said the American Civil Liberties Union and the NAACP will have information and advocacy tables.

“I hope the community feels united and hopeful as we join together on this sacred day,” Wereley said.

She said they’re hoping to make this an annual event.

For more information, visit Wereley’s Facebook page — where a flyer for the event is posted — or call (313) 896-8715.

The Detroit Historical Museum, 5401 Woodward Ave. in Detroit, is honoring King’s legacy with educational programs, storytelling, a panel discussion and samples of King’s speeches from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 20.

There will be birthday cupcakes to take home, and attendees will be invited to join in singing Stevie Wonder’s “Happy Birthday” at the end. Attendees will also be able to take selfies with a life-sized photo of King. This event is free with registration. Attendees can register by visiting the museum’s website — detroithistorical.org — and clicking on the Museum Events tab on the homepage, which includes a link to the MLK Day event. For more information, visit the museum website or call (313) 833-1805.

Detroit was famously the site, in 1963, of an early version of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Grosse Pointe South High School in the Farms was the site of one of King’s last speeches, “The Other America,” which he delivered in 1968; in 2021, a state historical marker was placed on school grounds in honor of this event.

Ann Eatherly, of Grosse Pointe Park, was a social studies teacher at South when King gave his speech at the school, and she was among those who got tickets to his sold-out talk.

“I have heard forceful speakers in my life, and he was the most powerful,” Eatherly said in 2021 of King. “You could tell that he wasn’t full of anger and hate — he was full of love and concern.”