Numerous activities are slated to honor Martin Luther King Jr., the late civil rights leader, including marches in Salt Lake City and Ogden.
Monday marks Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a federal and state holiday, but additional activities are also to be held in the days that follow.
Civil rights efforts gain ground "slowly but surely," said Betty Sawyer, head of the Ogden Chapter of the NAACP. But as underscored by moves to scale back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in Utah and beyond, she said, "the struggle does continue."
The theme of activities in Salt Lake City and Ogden is centered on King's last book, "Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?" The book, published in 1967, analyzes the state of race relations in the country after a decade of the civil rights struggle, according to the Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University.
"We're trying to point people to community," said Pamela Bishop, chairwoman of the committee planning events surrounding Martin Luther King Jr. Day at the University of Utah. In "Where Do We Go from Here," King indicated African Americans would face a new phase of challenges after the initial years of the civil rights movement, and Bishop said his message is "so relevant and needed today."
Sawyer emphasized that the civil rights struggle, as espoused by King, isn't focused solely on the Black community. It encompasses military veterans, women, the disabled, the LGBTQ community and more. "I think it's misunderstood and it's not just for African Americans," she said.
As for Monday's marches, participants in the Salt Lake City rally will start gathering at 2:30 p.m. at East High School at 840 S. 1300 East and commence at 3 p.m.
The Ogden activities on Monday start at 9 a.m. at Union Station at 2501 Wall Ave., with a breakfast and presentation by Denny Johnson, director of engagement for the national Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, based in Baltimore, Maryland. The march will follow at around 11 a.m. and go to the Ogden Amphitheater, where more will speak.
The U. has additional activities scheduled through Jan. 19. Among other events, Ruth Carter, an Academy Award-winning costume designer, will be keynote speaker at an address on Tuesday starting at noon at the S.J. Quinney College of Law. It will also be streamed live.
The Project Success Coalition in Ogden, led by Sawyer, will host a read-athon focused on King's values on Tuesday starting at 4 p.m. and a friendship bracelet exchange on Thursday starting at 4 p.m. Coalition offices are at 2909 Washington Blvd.