The nation marks Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 20, but events across Connecticut will honor the civil rights leader throughout the month of January.
Simsbury recognizes King's summers in their town through the Martin Luther King Jr. in Connecticut memorial outside Simsbury Free Library, 749 Hopmeadow St. King worked in the tobacco fields in Simsbury during the summers of 1944 and 1947, while a student at Morehouse College.
In letters to his mother, King said his experience in Simsbury was influential to his beginnings as a religious leader. His time in Connecticut also introduced him to desegregation.
Simsbury High School students helped lead the effort to create the memorial, which opened in 2021.
Jan. 15, New Haven
The MLK Love March in New Haven, hosted by Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, started in 1971. It's set to step off from the church at 100 Lawrence St. on Jan. 15 at 10:30 a.m. The march is held rain or shine.
Jan. 20, Hartford
The Wadsworth Atheneum, 600 Main St. in Hartford, offers free admission as local artists, storytellers, dancers and musicians come together to celebrate King 's legacy. New Haven’s Salt & Pepper Gospel Singers will perform at 4 p.m. Visitors can also view the "Freedomways: From Jubilee to Juneteenth" exhibit — a collaboration between the Wadsworth and The Amistad Center for Art & Culture. The exhibit explores the history of emancipation and diaspora.
Jan. 20, New Haven
The Yale Peabody Museum will host its 29th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy of Social and Environmental Justice with a day of free events, including poetry, music, crafts for children and food trucks.
Jan. 20, New Britain
The New Britain Museum of American Art in partnership with the CT Center for Nonviolence (CTCN) will offer chances to make art, music and dance starting at 10:30 a.m. Events include drop-in art activities, interactive drumming, a poetry workshop and dance. Admission is free that day at the museum, 56 Lexington Street in New Britain.
Jan. 20, Stamford
Ferguson Library and the Stamford MLK Committee present several chances to learn more about and discuss King's life and legacy. Two installments of PBS' "Eyes on the Prize" will be shown at the library's main branch of the library on Jan. 20 with "Bridge to Freedom (1965)" scheduled for 1 p.m. and "Two Societies (1965-68)" at 2 p.m.
Jan. 20, Branford
Jeffrey C. Stewart, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award, is scheduled to be the keynote speaker at Branford's MLK Breakfast at Branford High School starting at 8:30 a.m. Tickets are $20 — $5 for students — and include a full breakfast catered by Branford High School culinary arts students and music by BHS students.
Stewart is a professor of Black Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 2019 and National Book Award in 2018 for his book "The New Negro: The Life of Alain Locke."
Jan. 20, New Canaan
The Interfaith Council of New Canaan is scheduled to hold its 23rd annual service starting at 10 a.m. The service will feature music and speakers from New Canaan and surrounding towns, including the Pivot Men’s Choir.
Jan. 20, Ridgefield
The Town of Ridgefield's 29th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration is scheduled for the Ridgefield Playhouse at 3 p.m. The free event features performances and an award presentation.
Jan. 20, West Hartford
The Town of West Hartford has hosted a celebration of the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. since 1997. This year's theme is honoring the quote:
“If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”
John Mills, president and founder of the Alex Breanne Corporation, will be the keynote speaker. Mills' organization researches and presents the life experience of the American enslaved, presented from an African American perspective.
The annual event starts at 10:30 a.m. in the West Hartford Town Hall auditorium, 50 South Main St.
Jan. 22, New Haven
Author and Yale History Professor David W. Blight will lead a conversation with Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, author of “White Poverty: How Exposing Myths About Race and Class Can Reconstruct American Democracy.” The in-person book talk, which also features a virtual option, starts at 5 p.m. in the Luce Hall Auditorium at 34 Hillhouse Ave. in New Haven.
Jan. 23, Hartford
The Hartford Symphony Orchestra will perform at Asylum Hill Congregational Church in an MLK Tribute Concert on Jan. 23 at 7 p.m. Features vocalist Schauntice Marshall and special guests. The concert “presents music and reflections that echo Dr. King’s vision of equality, hope, and a brighter future for all,” organizers say. The concert is free but reservations are recommended. The church is at 814 Asylum Ave. in Hartford.
Jan. 31, Storrs
The University of Connecticut will hold its MLK Living Legacy Convocation from 6 - 8.30 p.m. at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts. Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter Todd Dulaney and UConn’s Voices of Freedom are set to perform. The event will kick off with recognition of the 2025 MLK Legacy Award recipients. Tickets are $15-$25 and can be purchased here. The center is at 2132 Hillside Road, Unit 3104, in Storrs.
Other events
Jan. 4, Hartford
The 40th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Breakfast at the Connecticut Convention Center was held Jan. 4. Proceeds from the event benefit the Hartford Alumnae Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.'s college scholarship for a Black female and high school senior in the Greater Hartford area.
