April 4, 2018 marks 50 years since Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, and a handful of local organizations are offering opportunities for residents to honor the legacy of the civil rights leader.
"A lot of the same issues King was fighting against then, we still find ourselves fighting against today," says Ericka King-Betts, vice president of the MLK Coalition of Cincinnati. "So, the fight continues."
And so on Saturday, April 7, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. the Coalition hosts "50 Years After Dr. King's Assassination: Cincinnati Remembers," a free event at New Prospect Baptist Church that will ask, where are we now, and where do we go from here? Speakers include the Rev. Damon Lynch, III, of New Prospect Baptist Church, Adam Clark, Ph.D., of Xavier University and Tonya Matthews, Ph.D., of Michigan Science Center. The discussion will be moderated by UC's Littisha Bates, Ph.D.
"We're going to be talking a lot about the life of King and his legacy, and we want to provide an opportunity for people to get more engaged and to continue that fight today," says King-Betts (no relation). "There are still a lot of individuals who are struggling, and and who we still have to continue to fight for."
That includes those here in the Queen City. "We look at many of the social issues that plague our society with our prison populations, our school-to-prison pipelines; poverty, a lack of inner access, affordable housing -- many of those issues are occurring in Cincinnati," she says. "That fight still is not done, and it's going to require all of us to roll up our sleeves and help if we want to continue moving forward, to have an impact on prejudice and discrimination and racism."
You can RSVP to the Coalition's free event here.
While the Coalitions' event takes place on April 7, three days after the official anniversary, others happen on the actual day, Wednesday, April 4, including a marquee event in Columbus:
- At noon, the Ohio Dr. Marin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the assassination in the Ohio Statehouse Atrium in downtown Columbus. The event, "50-Year Legacy: An MLK Memorial Event" is free and open to the public. Speakers include the Rev. Joel L. King, Jr., a first cousin of the late civil rights leader, as well as David Jehnsen, chair and founding trustee of the Institute for Human Rights and Responsibilities and leader of a Chicago-based delegation to the 1963 March on Washington. The Columbus State Community College gospel vocal ensemble will also perform.
- At 6:00 p.m., Cincinnati's National Underground Railroad Freedom Center hosts "MLK50: Where Do We Go From Here?" The free program will bring together scholars, historians, thought leaders, and local youth from the Greater Cincinnati region to commemorate the life and legacy of Dr. King Jr. and address today's matters of civil and human rights issues.
- At 7:00 p.m., the Office of African American Pastoral Ministries of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati will hold a mass of remembrance at Church of the Resurrection in Bond Hill. The Most Rev. Joseph Binzer, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, will serve as the presider and preacher.
Can't make it to any of these events? The Ohio Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission, along with The King Center in Atlanta and the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, is asking people and organizations throughout the state to pause for a moment of remembrance Wednesday evening at 7:01 p.m. ET. Churches are being asked to toll bells 39 times to mark the time, as well as the age of Dr. King at his death.
King was killed in Memphis on April 4, 1968, one day after giving his historic "I've Been to the Mountaintop" address, which many historians have noted seems to foreshadow his own passing.
"I've seen the promised land," King said. "I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I'm happy tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming Lord."
The next evening, King was killed by sniper fire on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel.
