The Unified Civic Monuments Project has announced that Martin Luther King III, the eldest son of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, will visit the Twin Cities community as the honored guest and speaker at a celebration of the double unveiling of monuments dedicated to his father.
According to an announcement from the UCMP organizers, on Tuesday, November 19, festivities will begin at 10:30 a.m. with an unveiling ceremony at the monument site in the Margaret B. Upton Arboretum in St. Joseph. At 11:00, all attendees are invited to march with the Benton Harbor and St. Joseph high school bands to the Benton Harbor Dwight P. Mitchell City Center Park. The Benton Harbor unveiling ceremony begins there at 11:30.
At 1:30 p.m., the Unified Civic Monuments Project and the Lake Michigan College Speaker Series will welcome the public to a free special engagement featuring Mr. King at the LMC Mendel Center Grand Upton Hall. During the event, “A Conversation with Martin Luther King III,” Mr. King will touch on a variety of topics including the importance of continuing the struggle for civil rights and the importance of individual action in making his father’s dream a reality.
Reservations for free general admission seating at the 1:30 p.m. Speaker Series event may be made at bit.ly/mlk3talk. Advance reservations are encouraged to guarantee seating. Free general admission may also be available at the door up to the venue capacity.
A limited amount of bus transportation will be available between the two monument sites, to the Mendel Center, and back. Food trucks will be available on the grounds of the Mendel Center beginning at 11:30 a.m. Food and specialty beverage tickets for the food trucks may be purchased in the Grand Upton Hall Lobby. Cash and credit cards will be accepted. Attendees are also welcome to bring their own lunch. Complimentary lemonade, iced tea and water will be available inside Grand Upton Hall.
About Martin Luther King III
As the oldest son of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mrs. Coretta Scott King, Martin Luther King III is described as a humanitarian and thought leader on the world stage, a peacemaker, and a negotiator on some of today’s most critical national and international platforms for social change. Amplifying the work of his father, Mr. King and his wife Arndrea Waters King, have devoted their lives to promoting global human rights and eradicating racism, violence, and poverty, earning a reputation as a respected international statesman and one of the world’s most passionate advocates for the poor and oppressed. Together as Chairman and President respectively, Martin and Arndrea lead the Drum Major Institute (DMI), an organization based on the ideals of Dr. King.
Volunteers to serve as ushers at the unveiling are encouraged to reach out at unifiedmonuments.org/contact or through the UCMP Facebook page.
To learn more about the ongoing programming of this project, including updates to the unveiling celebrations, please visit UnifiedMonuments.org.
