Chattanooga plans 50 projects to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day

In this Aug. 28, 1963, file photo, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, addresses marchers during his "I Have a Dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. (Associated Press file photo)
In this Aug. 28, 1963, file photo, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, addresses marchers during his "I Have a Dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. (Associated Press file photo)

M.L. King Day special projects

Check My ResumeThe Edney — 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.Wheelchair Cleaning StationsPatten Towers — 9-11 a.mWhiteside Faith Manor — 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.Voter Registration with the League of Women Voters#MLKDOS18 Kickoff 8-9 a.m.Bethlehem CenterBrainerd YFD CenterOrchard Knob Baptist Church

The Chattanooga Office of Multicultural Affairs is planning to complete 50 projects to commemorate the memory and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

This M.L. King Day will mark 50 years since the assassination of King. New for 2018 is the addition of special projects that help advance King's dream of opportunity for all, a news release states.

On the morning of Jan. 15, volunteers will gather on the campus of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga at the Chamberlain Pavilion for the day of service kickoff. Hundreds of volunteers are registered for Chattanooga's fifth year of "A Day On, Not a Day Off."

Pre-registration is closed, people can register at the kickoff from 8-8:30 a.m. and sign up for an available project. Projects include landscaping, clearing debris, trail maintenance, painting, deep cleaning, building repairs, community art projects and much more.

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 has also been the site of many black-owned businesses and where music legends like Billie Holiday and James Brown performed.

M.L. King Day schedule for Monday, Jan. 15

› 8-9 a.m. — Kickoff and volunteer check-in at UTC Chamberlain PavilionMusic from Southern Adventist University, UTC Littleton H. Mason Singers and DJ Christian Collier› 9 a.m. — Service projects begin› 12:30 p.m. — Projects begin wrapping up (some may be completed earlier)

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