MLK Weekend: Unity, Community, and Service Opportunities

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day may not be until Monday, but Unity Week events and service opportunities start this Thursday! We're bringing you all the talks, activities, and celebrations a little early, so you can plan your weekend celebrating Dr. King's legacy and its impact today in Spartanburg.The City of Spartanburg's Unity Week is just one part of the events countywide, officially celebrated by City Hall since 1986. The MLK Unity Week is a centerpiece of the City's Be One Initiative, which includes a variety of community diversity events throughout the year.If you have younger children, start a conversation about the importance of Unity Week with a book from Spartanburg County Libraries, such as children's books about peace, Civil Rights picture books, picture books that teach kids to combat racism, children's picture books about protests and civil disobedience, and books to inspire kids to change the world. (Lists curated by What Do We Do All Day.) Thursday, January 16th:

• "What does it mean to be black?" The Ubuntu Institute for Community Development will discuss this and more, with their Know Thyself Series, including film and discussion, 6:30-8:30pm. (191 S Liberty St)
• Commemorate the life of Dr. King with Faith Tabernacle Church of Spartanburg's service, 6:30-8pm. (1025 Howard St)

 Friday, January 17th:

• Spartanburg Regional History Museum's Homeschool Friday lesson will focus on Unity and Martin Luther King Jr.'s Legacy, 2-4:30pm. (Geared towards first- tenth grade students. Preregistration required.)
• Spartanburg County Public Library Headquarters will host a 6pm screening of the documentary, I Am Not Your Negro. Based on an unfinished manuscript by James Baldwin and narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, the film explores the history of racism in the United States through Baldwin's reminiscences of civil rights leaders Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr., as well as his personal observations of American history. (151 S Church St)

 Saturday, January 18th:

• Join together in fellowship and reflection, for City of Spartanburg's Walk as One march, starting at Wofford College at 9am.
• Working Monday? Volunteer early and help ready the new Bike Park to open (on March 22nd,) with Partners for Active Living and the Coalition for Active Youth. Pack dirt, pick up sticks and rocks, and other tasks friendly to all ages, 10am-12pm. The Bike Park is located at the Mary Black Foundation Rail Trail's Rail Yard, off of Forest Ave.

 Sunday, January 19th:

• The Spartanburg County Baptist Association will recognize Dr. King's contributions with a Service in His Memory at Majority Baptist Church, 4-6pm. (400 Hudson-Barksdale Dr)

 Monday, January 20th:

• Choose to live united in service, with a day on rather than a day off. The United Way of the Piedmont has a list of curated volunteer service opportunities, throughout Spartanburg, Union, and Cherokee Counties. Opportunities include trail maintenance and user surveys, litter clean-ups, recording veteran stories, the Homeless Period Project and hygiene kit packing, painting and gentle construction, and more.
• Additionally, the United Way of the Piedmont will host a MLK Day of Service Rally and Lunch, free for project volunteers. Make sure to RSVP!
• BRUH Mentor (Brothers Restoring Urban Hope, Inc.) will host a free MLK Day Leadership Basketball Camp at C.C. Woodson Community Center, 10am-3pm. (210 Bomar Ave) Programming includes basketball instruction, included lunch, group mentoring, live dance performances, and more. (For youth in first- twelfth grade. Registration is free and opens at 9am that morning.)
• Do you have children, too young to volunteer alongside you? The Children's Museum of the Upstate Spartanburg (130 Magnolia St) will have a parent-free MLK Jr. Day Peace and Bravery Camp from 9am-12pm. (Geared toward ages 3-6 years. Preregistration required.)
• City of Spartanburg's events culminate at the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium tonight at 6:30pm, for the Unity Celebration. The 2020 guest speaker is Dr. Gail Christopher. (385 N Church St)

 Tuesday, January 21st:

• "Have we reached Dr. King's dream?" A panel of Spartanburg Methodist College students, faculty, and staff will discuss the state of the world in regards to this question, in the Davis Mission Chapel at 7pm. The event is sponsored by SMC's Student Government Association, as part of their Interdisciplinary Studies Series Program, and is free and open to the public. (1000 Powell Mill Rd)

 Thursday, January 23rd:

• Discuss contemporary issues facing black men in America and globally-- and their solutions, with Ubuntu Institute's Visions for Black Men, 6:30-9pm. (191 S Liberty St)

 Friday, January 24th:

• The Ubuntu Institute will discuss Dr. King's political philosophy, with After the Dream, 3-5pm at the Spartanburg County Public Library Headquarters. (151 S Church St)

 Featured image shows the AVK Dance Studio performance at City of Spartanburg's 2019 Unity Celebration, photographed by Smithalee Studios.