Martin Luther King Day 2023: Celebration, March Planned In Newark

NEWARK, NJ — A march/rally and a “Sing in Praise of King” event are scheduled to take place to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day for 2023 in Newark.

The People’s Organization For Progress (POP) plans to hold a “We Won’t Go Back” march and rally at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 15 starting at the Martin Luther King statue, 495 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Participants in the march are being asked to wear masks and practice social distancing, organizers said.

The group has held this march observing King’s birthday annually for nearly 35 years.

“The forces of racism, white supremacy, and fascism in this country are trying to drag us backward to an era before the Civil Rights Movement and even the New Deal,” POP chair and former U.S. Senate candidate Lawrence Hamm said.

“We are marching on January 15 to let them know that we won’t go back,” he added.

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‘SING IN PRAISE OF KING’

Meanwhile, mayor Ras Baraka and other officials will host the City of Newark’s 35th Annual “Sing in Praise of King” at 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 16 at Newark Symphony Hall, 1020 Broad Street. Doors will open at 6 p.m.

This event is open to the general public, but seating is limited. To obtain free tickets, visit the Newark Symphony Hall Box Office between noon and 4 p.m. from Jan. 11 through Jan. 13, and again on Jan. 16, from 5 p.m. until showtime.

According to a news release from the mayor’s office:

“The City of Newark has been celebrating the life and legacy of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for more than three decades. Each year this observance is held in Newark and draws large audiences who celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. King with songs of praise, musical performances, and powerful oratory. Keynote speakers have included Academy Award Winning Actor and Filmmaker/Director Forest Whitaker, singer-actor-activist Harry Belafonte, activist Rev. Dr. Jesse Jackson, Princeton University Professor and Author Dr. Cornel West, and the youngest child of Dr. King, Reverend Bernice King. Dr. King continues to have a massive impact on the City of Newark and New Jersey in general. One of Dr. King’s final speeches before his tragic death was given at South Side (now Malcolm X Shabazz) High School. In 2014, City Hall’s Lower Level Rotunda gained a memorial to Dr. King and his Newark visit.”

City officials continued:

“This year’s keynote speaker will be Dr. Jamal-Harrison Bryant, the founder of Empowerment Temple AME Church in Baltimore, Maryland. There he reached across generations from the Civil Rights movement to the Black Lives Matter era to create positive change in the community. He has spread the Gospel, developed strong leaders, and empowered the economically disadvantaged and challenged social injustices. In December 2018, he was appointed Senior Pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Georgia.”

There will be special performances by Gospel singers Ian Johnson and Pastor John Kee, officials added:

“Mr. Johnson is a New Jersey native who serves as Minister of Music at Newark’s historic Zion Hill Baptist Church. He has sang and traveled with many famous artists, including Patti LaBelle, Walter Hawkins, Michael McDonald, Hezekiah Walker, and Donnie McClurkin. He has appeared on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “Good Morning America,” and “The Bobby Jones Gospel Hour.” Pastor Kee is a musician, clinician, and internationally recognized writer, earning, among others, 27 Stellar Awards, a Trailblazer Award from former President Clinton, a Soul Train Music Award, a Gospel Heritage Award, and seven Grammy nominations. In 2005, he was inducted into the International Gospel Hall of Fame.”

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