Celebrate Martin Luther King With These NYC Events

NEW YORK CITY — New Yorkers are about to honor the legacy of one the nation's greatest civil rights leaders, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., with a day of music, art and community service.

A host of events this Monday, Jan. 20, will celebrate the nonviolent activist and reverend who desegregated the Montgomery bus system, united Americans for a March on Washington and won the Nobel Peace Prize for a dream that inspired a nation.

Here are just a few ways New Yorkers can spend their Martin Luther King, Jr. Day:

National Day of Service opportunities in New York City

Where: Across New York City
When: All day
What: Make Martin Luther King, Jr. Day "a day on, not a day off," by volunteering in your neighborhood.

Harlem Gospel Choir's Martin Luther King Jr. Day Matinee Show

Where: Sony Hall at 235 W. 46th St. in Midtown, Manhattan
When: 12:30 p.m., doors open at 11 a.m.
What: The world-famous Harlem Gospel Choir will sing gospel in honor of King's legacy.

Martin Luther King Day in Prospect Park

Where: Events across Prospect Park in Brooklyn
When: All day.
What: The Prospect Park Alliance is hosting a freedom song and story-telling event, as well as opening the ice skating rink and tennis courts for the holiday.

BAM's 34th Annual Brooklyn Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Where: Brooklyn Academy of Music's Howard Gilman Opera House at 30 Lafayette Ave. in Fort Greene, Brooklyn
When: 10:30 a.m.
What: BAM pays tribute to Dr. King with a key note address from New York Times journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, musical guests Son Little and the Brooklyn Interdenominational Choir, and an art exhibition called "Picture the Dream."

MLK Day: Visual Arts Showcase

Where: 39th Avenue Arts N Events at 38-12 30th St. in Long Island City, Queens
When: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
What: This Queens art studio will commemorate Dr. King with a live art exhibit and performance of the "I Have a Dream" speech by orator Ronald Haynie.

Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the Museum of the City of New York

Where: Museum of the City of New York at 1220 Fifth Ave. in East Harlem
When: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
What: The museum will host a special exhibition "Activist New York" that explores King's role in the civil rights movement through story-telling and art-making.