EVERETT, Wash., January 12, 2023—Snohomish County will honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with and celebrations hosted by various organizations. Below is a compilation of those events.

MLK Event on Friday, January 13

The Snohomish County Black Heritage Committee’s annual Greater Everett Area Community Celebration march commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King’s life, legacy, and work returns this Friday, January 13, after a three-year break.

Beginning at the Everett Memorial Stadium at 11 a.m., the 0.8-mile march will end at the Carl Gibson Center at 3025 Lombard Avenue in Everett where the rally will be held until 2 p.m. The rally will feature community resource tables, entertainment, food trucks, and a number of guest speakers touching on this year’s theme, The Urgency of Now: From Dream to Reality, including the winners of the Prodigy for Peace youth contest presenting their art and essays.

“[This year’s theme is] an exploration on how we can continue to work toward bringing Dr. King’s dreams to life and how urgent it is to act in the moment to help realize that dream,” AJ Soto, CR and Marketing Coordinator for the Snohomish County Black Heritage Committee, told the Lynnwood Times.

Before the march commences, keynote speakers will share a few words including Cassie Franklin, Everett Mayor, Linda Redmon, Snohomish Mayor, Dr. Ian B. Saltzman, Everett School District Superintendent, and several others.

The march will also be live streamed on the group’s Facebook page.

Beginning over 30 years ago, Everett’s MLK community celebration is the oldest event in the city of Everett commemorating the life and ideals of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King. In past years the event featured speakers such as Dr. Samuel B. McKinney, former pastor of the Mt. Zion Baptist Church, who was college roommates at Morehouse College and hosted Dr. King when he came to the Seattle area in the 1960’s.

When Martin Luther King Day became a federal holiday in 1986, the Washington Governor at the time, Booth Gardner, approached a few local pastors in the Everett area to help spearhead a celebration commemorating Dr. King’s birthday. While the event is 37 years old, 2023 marks the first year that will feature a march.

“It’s a time to get together to fellowship, to remember, to celebrate, and hopefully be inspired and challenged to go back into the community and continue the work that Dr. King did so many years ago that is still definitely relevant in 2023,” DanVonique Bletson-Reed, President of the Snohomish County Black Heritage Committee and Chair of the MLK Celebration, told the Lynnwood Times.

YMCA of Snohomish County to Host Martin Luther King, Jr. Inspirational Weekend

YMCA of Snohomish County will honor and celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by hosting its 2nd Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Inspirational Weekend on January 13-16, 2023.

The weekend begins with an inspirational breakfast on January 13 from 7 – 9 am at the Everett Family YMCA (4730 Colby Ave., Everett, WA 98203) and culminate with a Day of Service on Monday, January 16 from 9 am – 1 pm.

“The Y is compelled to honor Dr. King’s legacy because his teachings inspire our values of equality and opportunity for all in our community,” said Peyton Tune, YMCA of Snohomish County President and CEO. “Our mission and work are made better every time we reflect on King’s teachings and legacy.”

The Y has a meaningful connection to Dr. King. Before he was a civil rights champion and humanitarian, before he delivered his universally-acclaimed “I Have a Dream” speech at the 1963 March on Washington, and before he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, King was a young child who found a second home at the YMCA. As a boy, he learned to swim at his hometown Y in Atlanta, GA.

“This unique connection to Dr. King inspires us to live out his values in our daily work,” said Tune. “We look forward to honoring his legacy and then getting out in the community to serve our neighbors.”

All community members are invited to attend the Inspirational Breakfast on Friday morning. Community leaders and YMCA youth will lead a panel discussing the question of the day, originating from the words of Dr. King himself: “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘what are you doing for others?’”

On Monday, January 16, YMCAs throughout Snohomish County will host “Make It A Day ON, Not A Day OFF” community service projects honoring Dr. King’s servant leadership spirit. The Y will mobilize hundreds of volunteers who will give back to their local community through various service projects, including tree planting in Monroe, food bank support in Mill Creek and Mukilteo, and assembling care packages for seniors in Marysville.

“The highlight of the weekend is our Day of Service when we get the opportunity to live out Dr. King’s legacy,” said Tune. “By gathering together to serve, we are truly answering his question, ‘what are you doing for others?’ in a real, tangible way. This is about serving our neighbors.”

For more information about breakfast registration or Day of Service volunteering, please visit ymca-snoco.org/mlk.

MLK Event on Sunday, January 15

On Sunday, January 15, the second day of celebration will be held at the First Presbyterian Church at 2936 Rockefeller Avenue in Everett from 3:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. The event will host speaker Aaron Gaines, Pastor of Faith Tabernacle in Everett, and Joshua Binda, Lynnwood City Councilman. The event will also feature a mix of contemporary and classic gospel songs performed by the Greater Everett MLK Community Choir.

Both events are free and open to the entire family. For more information call DanVonique Bletson-Reed at 425-583-7739 or email niqueybreed3@rencummings

MLK Event on Monday, January 16

Imagine Children’s Museum

On Monday, January 16, Imagine Children’s Museum in downtown Everett will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., special hours for children to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his legacy of nonviolent struggle to promote equality and advance civil rights.

Imagine is a family-friendly Museum dedicated to enriching children’s lives through playful learning. It is a perfect place for children to learn about the values of equality and inclusion championed by Dr. King and other civil rights leaders.

Families are invited to spend quality time together and create new family traditions with special activities, all of which are free with Museum admission or membership.

Creative Arts Activities Celebrating Dr. King: Art Hangout, all day (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)Children and families can learn about “The Embrace,” a new monument honoring both Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King that is currently being created in Walla Walla, Washington. This monument is one of the largest memorials dedicated to racial equality in the United States and will ultimately be installed in America’s oldest public park, Boston Common. Children and families will be invited to create their own artwork inspired by images of this new monument, and the original photograph that sparked it.

Children’s Story Times with Books about Dr. King: Lodge, Story Times at 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m.Children and families can attend special story times featuring books about Dr. King and other leaders who championed racial equality and the rights of all children.

Quiet Reading and Reflection Time: PJ’s Place, all day (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)The Museum will have additional children’s picture books and early reader books available for families to read together. Enjoy some quiet time by curling up with a new story about Dr. King in our cozy reading room.

Offering three floors of unbeatable play spaces for children ages 1-12 and their families, Imagine Children’s Museum recently opened a $25 million expansion including state-of-the-art, interactive exhibits to inspire a lifelong love of learning through play. The new exhibits showcase the Pacific Northwest, the Puget Sound and Port of Everett; an engineering gallery; a tinker shop where children can learn to use real tools; an exhibit about woodlands; an exhibit about package distribution; a marine ecosystems exhibit; and a few others. These complement the museum’s original exhibits, which include an Everett Transit bus, a miniature locomotive track, and a water works area.

Imagine is located at 1502 Wall Street in downtown Everett, with the main entrance on Hoyt Avenue. Street parking and pre-pay parking lots are available around the Museum. Visit ImagineCM.org for more information about all the Museum has to offer!

YMCA of Snohomish County to Host Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service

On Monday, January 16, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday, YMCAs throughout Snohomish County will host “Make It A Day ON Not A Day Off” community service projects honoring Dr. King’s servant leadership spirit. The Y will mobilize hundreds of volunteers who will give back through the YMCA MLK Day of Service projects identified and facilitated by Y staff, civic leaders and community volunteers.

For more information about MLK Day of Service, please visit ymca-snoco.org/mlk.

Scriber Lake Park volunteerism

Volunteer at Scriber Lake Park on Monday, January 16th starting at 9 am to clear invasive species and help beautify Scriber Lake Park. All materials provided.  

Scriber Lake Park
5601 198th St. SW 
Lynnwood

Monday, January 16, 2023
9 am – 12 pm

Please complete this FORM to register to volunteer on MLK Day of Service.