Mon 1/17
As usual, with schools, government offices and many businesses closed, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s Birthday offers a flock of activities and opportunities for both entertainment and education. You’ll find museums and other institutions open, even ones not normally open Mondays.
That starts with the Cleveland Museum of Art, which will be open from 10am-5pm (free as usual), and offer both fun activities and the chance to reflect on Dr. King’s legacy. Their theme is “It Starts with Me: Shifting Priorities to Create the Beloved Community;” you can pick up a free Family Discovery Pack or MLK Day Collection Connection Guide to explore artworks in the Ames Family Atrium that explore what you can do to uplift your community.
clevelandart.org/“it-starts-me-shifting-priorities-create-beloved-community
The Akron Art Museum will also be open, with hours from 11am-5pm, offering self-guided yours, open studio, a photo booth, I Promise School artwork on display, Elizabeth’s Book Store popup and a cookies/coffee/hot chocolate bar. Admission is free.
akronartmuseum.org/media/events/mlk-day-celebration/
Also offering free admission at the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage and the Rock and Roll Hall of Family.
The Maltz Museum’s special event, “Hear Our Voices: Annual MLK Day Celebration” offers both in-person visits and online programs such as “A Dream That Moves Us,” an interactive virtual program that features stories about Dr. King’s boyhood as well as his famous “I have a Dream” speech, accompanied by music and dancing from Karamu performers. There’s also an essay-writing workshop for youth entered the Maltz’s “Stop the Hate” contest, and a talk with Dr. Khalid El-Hakim, founder of the Black History 101 Mobile Museum. All are free, but registration is required. Go here.
The Rock Hall is also offering free virtual programming at Rockhall.com. You can learn the stories behind artifacts from Jimi Hendrix, Mahalia Jackson and Sam Cooke; hear interviews with Jennifer Hudson and Robert Randolph; and watch induction footage including from Tina Turner’s 2021 induction. You can also visit the museum for free — advance registration and masks required — and hear Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech on loop in the Forest City Theater, see live a performance by resident rocker Marcus Smith @ 12:45pm, and take a self-guided tour to explore the role of popular music in the Civil Rights movement.
rockhall.com/events/martin-luther-king-jr-day-2022