Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is this Monday, Jan. 17 and many events celebrating his legacy have been scheduled around the city, virtually and in-person. Here’s a list of some events and volunteer opportunities happening in West and Southwest Philadelphia and on-line. Also, check out the list compiled by the Office of Councilmember Jamie Gauthier.

To explore additional MLK Day volunteer opportunities in Philadelphia, click here.

Thursday, Jan. 13 & Friday, Jan. 14:

Sam Pollard Film Screenings – Virtual Event

Scribe Video Center is hosting an online screening of two films by acclaimed filmmaker Sam Pollard. On Thursday, Jan. 13 at 7:00 p.m., join Scribe for a presentation of MLK/FBI, and on Friday, Jan. 14 at 7:00 p.m. there will be a presentation of Two Trains Runnin’, followed by a conversation with Sam Pollard. The screenings and conversation will be presented through the Crowdcast platform. Click here for more information and to register. Continue Reading

A 2015 rally at the Martin Luther King Memorial at 40th and Lancaster Avenue (Photo courtesy of PEC)

The life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. is being celebrated this Monday, Jan. 18. While a lot of MLK Day events and activities will not be held this year because of Covid restrictions, folks are invited to participate in virtual events and outdoor socially-distanced events:

Monday, January 18, 12:30 p.m. at The Bank, 3750 Lancaster Avenue (corner of 38th and Lancaster Ave):

People’s Emergency Center (PEC) will be giving away food and other resources at the site of Rev. King’s Freedom Now tour speech on August 3, 1965 – at the intersection of 40th Street, Haverford Avenue, and Lancaster Avenue. The event will begin at Noon and last until the food has been distributed. The location is also a site on PEC’s Martin Luther King Scavenger Hunt, with a prize of a $100 gift card (go here for more information).  Continue Reading

On August 3rd 1965, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at 40th and Lancaster during a Freedom Now Rally in front of a crowd of 10,000 people. The Peace March ended there in 2018 with speeches from community leaders. (Photo courtesy of People’s Emergency Center).

Beginning this weekend, local universities and other non-profit organizations will be hosting many events, for adults and children alike, and volunteer projects in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Most of the events are happening on the Martin Luther King Day of Service on Monday, Jan. 21.

Here are some of these events; more events in the area from now through Monday can be found at this link. Continue Reading

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is on Monday, Jan. 15. Here’s a list of events and Day of Service opportunities for local residents. Visit mlkdayofservice.org/volunteer for more volunteer opportunities in Philadelphia.

• MLK Events at Penn

Penn’s MLK Day of Service activities begin with a breakfast for volunteers, and includes a college fair, sprucing up various locations around West Philadelphia, recording audio books to promote literacy and more. It concludes with a candlelight vigil. More details can be found here.

The Day of Service kicks off Penn’s Annual MLK Symposium for Social Change, two weeks worth of events and activities (from panel discussions to film screenings to performances and lectures) that are centered around social justice. For more information, go here.  Continue Reading

The University of the Sciences (USciences) is honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by hosting two community events, one for adults and the other one for children, on Monday, Jan. 16. Both are free and open to everyone.

From 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., USciences faculty, staff, and students will conduct health screenings at a free Adult Health Clinic at Mt. Zion Baptist Church (5015 Woodland Ave.) and will be available to discuss relevant health issues.

From 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., young neighbors and their parents or guardians are invited to a Youth Health and Science Fair at USciences’ Athletic Recreation Center (600 South 43rd St., Multipurpose Room). This event is offering many free activities for children, including dance and yoga classes, sports clinics, hands-on science experiments, games and a performance from the Kingsessing Singers Chamber Choir.  Continue Reading

Happy Martin Luther King Day! Here are reminders about what’s going on in the area today and information on today’s closings and schedule changes.

• If you missed our post about MLK Day of Service happenings and volunteer opportunities, you can read it here.

• West Philly Community Pet Pantry, where low-income residents can get free food for their pets, is happening from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the Shepard Recreation Center (5700 Haverford Ave.).

• SEPTA buses and trolleys are operating on a modified weekday schedule. Go here for more information.

• Public schools and libraries, government offices and post offices are closed.

• There will be no trash and recycling collection today. If your trash collection day is Monday, set out your materials for Tuesday pick-up. Trash collection for the rest of the week will be delayed by one day.