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Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. events scheduled in Elyria, Lorain

The cities of Elyria and Lorain will host events honoring the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Jan. 15.

The first event will take place at 10 a.m. with a march from Ely Square to the Elyria Performing Arts Center where activities will continue at 10:30 a.m.

Lise Day, a member of Elyria’s Community Development Department, said attendees can expect a wide range of activities.

There will be music, refreshments. a speaker, video presentation by the Lorain County Urban League and presentation of a Community Service Award.

Day said the Elyria Black Legacy, Racial Equity Center, Elyria Public Library System are some of the local organizations adding to the learning opportunities at the event.

The celebration has a theme of empowering the youth and Day encourages young people to start conversations.

“The thing they’d be most surprised by is how much adults want to hear from youth,” Day said. “It feels like for many young people, that adults don’t want to listen or they don’t care, but they really want to hear from them; they want them on the stage.”

Day said events like these are vital for the community to be reminded of important history.

“The whole reason that there’s a Martin Luther King Commission is so his words don’t fall by the wayside,” she said. “We are now 60 years from the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and it’s easy for things to start to become ancient history.

“We know that history repeats itself when we forget the lessons it teaches us.”

One of the most powerful parts of the celebration for Day is the playing of the Black national anthem that follows the national anthem and Pledge of Allegiance.

“In those words and that music reminds me of the journey, and I’m not African American,” she said. “The music is lilting and hopeful, and then it comes down and reminds of the dark past, so we can be mindful that what we have today, wasn’t always a given.”

One of the key parts of the 2024 edition of the event will be a spoken word from Elyria High School student Dekarion Hughes.

Hughes is a part of Project Ready, an after school mentoring program run by the Lorain County Urban League.

Parris Smith, president and CEO of the Lorain County Urban League, said Hughes has spoken at multiple events in the past, including a Juneteenth celebration and at last year’s National Urban League Youth Summit.

“He’s very excited to be able to give a speech that ties back to our theme of enhancing the voice of our young adults,” Smith said. “Part of that is Dekarion being the keynote speaker.”

There also will be a video presentation by the Urban League showing other high school students and young adults sharing their perspective on one of King’s quotes, “the time is always right to do what is right.”

“It aims to capture that message by showcasing the perspectives of our young adults on the importance of taking action for social justice and equality,” Smith said.

She also emphasized how that King quote has a specific connection to Lorain County.

King spoke at the Oberlin College commencement in 1965.

Smith said although the quote was said in front of a different group in a different time period, it has major relevance to the theme of this year’s MLK Day celebration in Elyria.

“We believe there is power in having a youth voice at the table and being able to hear their insights on positive change,” she said.

Two other events are planned for Jan. 15.

They are:

• The Metro Central NAACP Unit 3183 will present a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day program “Rededication to the Dream” from 12:15 p.m. to 1 p.m. Guest speaker will be the Rev. Tennille Power, pastor at the First United Methodist Church in Elyria. The program will be virtual, and people can join the Zoom meeting at bit.ly/48xwcRX or on the Oberlin Heritage Center’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/oberlinheritagecenter/. For further information contact Claudia at 440.960.1612.

• The Lorain Unit of the NAACP, Start With Art C.A.L.M  and To the Moon and Black Foundation will present “A Kaleidoscope Vision of  King” from 2-4 p.m. at Wesley United Methodist Church, 220 W. Seventh St. in downtown Lorain. Student arts will showcase their works honoring King and the Civil Rights Movement. A free light lunch will be provided.