Schedule
* 8:30 a.m. Service projects* Noon: M.L. King Mural dedication* 1 p.m. The Making of the M.L. King Mural artist presentation* Continuous: Music presented by Jazzanooga* Location: Bessie Smith Cultural Center, 200 E. M.L. King Blvd.
The city of Chattanooga is seeking volunteers for its third annual “A Day On, Not a Day Off” day of service in recognition of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
“Dr. King advocated for opportunity for all and for giving back to others in need. So we’re doing this as a way to honor Dr. King’s legacy through service,” said Marissa Bell, communication coordinator for the Office of Economic and Community Development.
The Jan. 18 event on M.L. King Day calls for volunteers to fix up Martin Luther King Boulevard. Projects include planting daffodil bulbs, clearing out alleyways, landscaping, street cleaning and covering graffiti.
Jazzanooga participants will perform throughout the morning.
City officials said they hope the street cleanup will continue to advance the M.L. King area revitalization.
The Office of Multicultural Affairs is hosting the day of service and will provide a free lunch and T-shirt to volunteers who sign up at bit.ly/MLKihelpchattanooga.
After the service projects, officials will host an M.L. King mural dedication at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech inspired much of the imagery in the mural, according to a news release from the city.
At 40,000 square feet, the $200,000 mural on the AT&T building is the largest Public Art Chattanooga-commissioned mural in the city.
Chattanooga is among hundreds of cities celebrating King’s efforts toward equality. The 1964 Nobel Peace Prize winner led the Civil Rights Movement from the mid-1950s until his assassination in 1968.
A citywide effort in Chattanooga changed Ninth Street to M.L. King Boulevard in January 1982. Less than two years earlier, Ninth Street had been the location of a Ku Klux Klan-related shooting.
The street also was the site of many black-owned businesses and where music legends like Billie Holiday and James Brown performed.
This is expected to be the first year the Unity Group does not host its M.L. King March down M.L. King Street. The organization hosted the city’s largest M.L. King Day celebrations for four decades. This year the Unity Group plans to march from the intersection of North Moore Road, Brainerd Road and Club Drive between the Waffle House and Ridgedale Baptist Church, to Brainerd High School.
Contact Yolanda Putman at yputman@timesfreepress.com or 757-6431.