LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Michigan Community Service Commission is supporting 28 volunteer projects across the state that will engage more than 2,700 volunteers in addressing needs such as food insecurity, homelessness, environmental stewardship and supporting youth.

To support these efforts, the Michigan Community Service Commission (MCSC) awarded over $11,000 in grants ranging from $100 to $1,000. AmeriCorps has provided a portion of the grant funding for MLK Day service.

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“Volunteering is a great way to help the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. live on,” said Ginna Holmes, executive director of the Michigan Community Service Commission. “Whether it’s volunteering in your community, helping a neighbor or supporting something you are passionate about, we encourage everyone to find way to serve.”

You can visit the MCSC website to find out more about how and where you can volunteer.

In addition to volunteer opportunities, there are celebrations going on all over Michigan as well. One of those celebrations is the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commission of Mid-Michigan’s 38th annual MLK Day celebration. They are gathering for the first time since the start of the pandemic. Their luncheon is the largest MLK Day luncheon in the nation and will be at the Lansing Center with the theme “Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.”

According to the Lansing City Pulse, their keynote speaker is Fred D. Gray, a Montgomery, Alabama, native and one of the nation’s leading civil rights attorneys. Gray, 92, represented Rosa Parks after she refused to move from her bus seat in Montgomery. He has also represented the Freedom Riders, the Selma-to-Montgomery Marchers, Tuskegee Syphilis Study victims and was the first civil rights attorney for King. He has won numerous school desegregation and voting rights lawsuits and continues to practice law to this day. He is also an ordained minister, lecturer, former legislator and published author. Gray was recently awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Joe Biden, the nation’s highest honor.

In addition to the Lansing event, Detroit is hosting many events as well including the 20th annual Detroit MLK Day Rally and March. This year’s event has the theme “Six Decades of Mass Movements, The Struggle Continues.” They will feature artists and  speakers currently active in social justice, peace and self-determination meeting. The rally begins at 12 pm at St. Matthew’s-St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church in Detroit. The march begins at 1:45 p.m., followed by a free outdoor community meal at 2:30 p.m. The event is sponsored by the Detroit MLK Committee. This is another event that’s finally starting up again after being sidelined as a virtual event for two years due to the pandemic.

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Also happening on Monday in Detroit is the “Let Freedom Ring Awards” hosted by civil rights leader Rev. Jesse L. Jackson. He’ll be leading an awards program honoring local community leaders at 4:00 p.m. at the Fox Theatre.

And over at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) will be a screening of the documentary “King: A Filmed Record…Montgomery to Memphis” at 1:00 p.m. According to the Detroit News, “The Richard Kaplan film follows King’s work from 1955-1968 and his rise from regional activist to leader of the Civil Rights movement and includes archival footage of his speeches, protests and arrests.”

The event is free and the museum says about the documentary, “Rare footage of Dr. King’s speeches, protests, and arrests are interspersed with scenes of high-profile supporters and opponents of the cause. Restored to full-length by the Library of Congress, the complete version of King is a cinematic national treasure that gives viewers an appreciation of the personal challenges he endured and the cultural legacy he left behind.”