Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.’s Legacy
by Attending These YWCA Events Around Charleston
Jan. 11-15, 2024

One of the first tributes to the memory of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was held in Charleston in 1972. The Greater Charleston YWCA host the longest running celebrations of Dr. King, and the largest MLK Day celebration in South Carolina. This year’s MLK Celebration includes:

• MLK BREAKFAST SUMMIT – Thursday, Jan. 11 at 7AM at the Charleston Gaillard Center. Coastal Community Foundation CEO Darrin Goss, Sr. will give the keynote. Tickets are on sale at ywcagc.org.
• MLK BELOVED COMMUNITY DINNER – The YWCA’s inaugural MLK Dinner, and first Transformation Table Lowcountry event on Friday, January 12 at the International African American Museum. The community table dinner will be led by Chef Bintou N’Daw of Bintü Atelier.
• MLK YOUTH OPEN MIC – Saturday night, Jan. 13 at Burke High at 6, young poets, musicians, and other artists of the spoken word can take part in an open mic night with a sweet prize for two age categories: 10-15 and 16-20. Audition now by sending a 1½ minute video to CJ here!
• MLK ECUMENICAL SERVICE – One of the most historic events of this Celebration, the service is Sunday, Jan. 14 at 4PM at Charity Missionary Baptist Church. Rabbi Stephanie Alexander of Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim will deliver the keynote.
• MLK DAY PARADE – Cheer on the bands, dancers, floats, and more! The parade starts at 10:30 Monday morning, Jan.15. The route runs from Burke High School to Mother Emanuel AME Church in downtown Charleston. If you can’t be there in person, watch the parade live on WCBD News 2.
• MLK RACIAL EQUITY SESSION – A three-hour session in March or 2024, designed for leaders and their teams, to provide a new way of thinking based on analysis, and more.