Columbia To Celebrate MLK Jr. Day As Other Cities Mobilize

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — On Sunday and Monday, events in Howard County will honor the life and legacy of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. In some U.S. cities, however, people plan to forgo the celebration of the federal holiday to take a stand in support of voting rights.

Last month, the family of the late civil rights activist called on President Joe Biden and members of the U.S. Senate to either restore and expand voting rights in honor of King's legacy or skip the celebration of his namesake holiday.

Fueling the King family’s call are at least 400 voter suppression bills introduced during the first five months of 2021, 33 of which were put into law across 19 states, according to a report by Insider citing data from the Voting Rights Lab.

In response, the Kings are demanding meaningful action on the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. They also asked Biden to "ensure the Jim Crow filibuster doesn't stand in the way."

RELATED: No MLK Jr. Day Without Action On Voting Rights, King Family Says

The Freedom to Vote Act would create a national standard for voting access, overruling many restrictions passed or proposed in states. Meanwhile, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would restore and strengthen parts of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 after certain portions of the bill were struck down by two U.S. Supreme Court decisions.

While passed by thin margins in the U.S. House of Representatives, both bills remain stuck in the Senate, blocked primarily by Republican opposition.

To encourage the Senate to pass both bills, demonstrations are planned Saturday in Phoenix, Arizona, and Monday in Washington, D.C. More than 100 grassroots organizations have joined the Kings’ call to action.

"Voting is an essential part of our democracy's infrastructure," Arndrea Waters King said in a statement. Waters King is the wife of Martin Luther King III, the son of the slain civil rights icon.

“We cannot afford for it to crumble any further," she added.

Just days ahead of MLK Jr. Day, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris visited Atlanta Tuesday to talk about the voting rights bills — bills Biden called a "turning point."

In an excerpt of his speech released by the White House, Biden said, "The next few days, when these bills come to a vote, will mark a turning point in this nation. Will we choose democracy over autocracy, light overshadow, justice over injustice? I know where I stand. I will not yield. I will not flinch. I will defend your right to vote and our democracy against all enemies foreign and domestic. And so the question is where will the institution of (the) United States Senate stand?"

RELATED: Biden To Senate On Voting Rights Bills: 'Pass It Now'

It’s unclear whether the Senate will vote on either bill ahead of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball, the county office of human rights and equity and the Howard County Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission will honor the life and legacy of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. starting at 2 p.m. Sunday with a virtual celebration that can be seen on Howard County Government’s YouTube channel and OHRE’s Facebook page, followed by a day of service on Monday.

“Every year, I look forward to the opportunity to honor the life and legacy of Dr. King,” Ball said. “This celebration is about acknowledging the students and community leaders serving, protecting and advocating for all of us here in Howard County. Howard County’s strength is in our commitment to serving those in need, protecting the vulnerable, and advocating for justice.”

This Sunday’s family-friendly, multicultural event will include musical performances, dramatic presentations, a keynote address by Wes Moore and recognition of the 2022 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “Living the Dream” award recipients and student essay and poster contest winners.

“The Howard County Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday celebration is about recognizing how Dr. King’s dream lives on in the service of our community leaders and the vision of our students. This year’s winners are an excellent example of this very thing,” OHRE Administrator Yolanda F. Sonnier said.

“Living the Dream” award and student essay and poster contests winners are:

The “Living the Dream” Award honors individuals and organizations who exemplify the work and legacy of Dr. King. This year’s honorees are Ayra Mazhar Hussain, Larry Walker and the Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County, recognized for their devotion to the community.

For the student essay and poster contests, students were asked to reflect upon Dr. King’s statement and this year’s contest theme “Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” For the essay contests, middle and high school students discussed what could be done to foster an inclusive culture in your school, community or organization. Students with disabilities were encouraged to participate in the essay contest submitting entries using other media and/or visual representation to convey their message. For the poster contest, elementary and middle school students composed an original piece of artwork that showed their interpretation of the theme. The contest winners are:

Essay Contest – High School

• 1st Place: Similoluwa Adeniyi, 11th Grade, Atholton High School
• 2nd Place: James Jiyu Obasiolu, 9th Grade, Atholton High School
• 3rd Place: Gabrielle Dougé, 9th Grade, Glenelg High School

Essay Contest – Middle School

• 1st Place: Karon Robinson, 6th Grade, Thomas Viaduct Middle School
• 2nd Place: Chidera Nwokeh, 8th Grade, Thomas Viaduct Middle School
• 3rd Place: Raima Shah, 7th Grade, Elkridge Landing Middle School

Poster Contest – Elementary and Middle School

• 1st Place: Ameyah Beroid, 3rd Grade, Talbott Springs Elementary School
• 2nd Place: Eli Mathieu, 4th Grade, Dayton Oaks Elementary School
• 3rd Place: Anayah Mathieu, 1st Grade, Dayton Oaks Elementary School

“Our Howard County students did a phenomenal job interpreting the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It was truly difficult choosing this year’s winners. We are proud of all of our students. The work of this year’s winners truly stood out as a beacon of light illuminating the leaders of tomorrow for justice and advocacy,” Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission President Dr. A. Diane Martin said.

“Day of Service Across Howard County”

Residents can participate in the county’s “Day of Service Across Howard County” project on Monday. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s event will be different from years past. On Monday, OHRE and the commission will host a number of virtual events, ranging from HopeWorks of Howard County’s “I Can I Will’ Create Peace” virtual workshop at 2 p.m., to a screening and panel discussion on the short environmental justice film, Disruption: Baltimore’s Highway to Nowhere, at 7 p.m.

In addition to Monday’s virtual events, OHRE and the commission also will be hosting a number of food donation drives Monday. Participants can donate to the Howard County Food Bank through its Amazon Wish List, make a monetary donation to the Community Action Council of Howard County’s 2022 MLK Day Virtual Food Drive, or drop-off donations to the Howard County Food Bank, located at 9385 Gerwig Lane J in Columbia, Monday between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Residents also can drop off donations to the Howard County Food Bank throughout the year, open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Howard County Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission was established to encourage and coordinate activities and ceremonies throughout Howard County to honor the birthday, ideals and legacy of Dr. King.