MLK Day Collaborative to Host 2025 Martin Luther King Day Celebration
SPRINGFIELD — The MLK Day Collaborative invites the public to “MLK Day 2025: Pursue Justice. Persist in Peace” on Monday, Jan. 10 at the MassMutual Center. An Arts & Wellness Expo from 12:30 to 2 p.m. will be followed by a program at 2 p.m. Events are free and open to the public.
“Each year, we gather to honor the life and enduring legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. We reflect on his unwavering commitment to justice, equity, and peace and are inspired to embody his important work for and with our community,” said Shannon Rudder, president and CEO of Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services. “This year’s theme, ‘Pursue Justice. Persist in Peace,’ captures the essence of Dr. King’s philosophy and provides a framework for how we are to approach the myriad challenges that persist today.”
The day’s celebration begins with a noon ceremony and MLK flag raising at Springfield City Hall hosted by Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno and the Greater Springfield NAACP. Doors open at 12:30 p.m. at the MassMutual Center, with an expo featuring artistic expressions, exhibitions, and vendors in the lobby entrance followed by an program in which nearly 1,000 youth and supporting adult participants will manifest the event’s theme through inspiring spoken word, dance, and music presentations featuring MLK Charter School of Excellence, Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services’ Youth & Clemente Program, Community Music School of Springfield’s Sonido Musica, MLK Day Festival Orchestra, Springfield CommUnity Chorale, Young at Heart Chorus, Children’s Chorus of Springfield, Springfield Public Schools students, and more.
The MLK Day Collaborative is comprised of the following organizations: Community Music School of Springfield, D.R.E.A.M. Studios, FOCUS Springfield, Greater Springfield NAACP, Inclusive Strategies, Legacy Sounds, Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services, Martin Luther King Jr. Charter School of Excellence, Springfield College, Springfield Public Schools, Springfield Cultural Council, Urban League of Springfield, Young at Heart Chorus.
“We gather once again to embody the hope of Dr. King and manifest the promise of our youth to fulfill his dream of unity and justice for all,” said Vanessa Ford, associate director at Community Music School of Springfield. “Let us lift up one another into the light of peace today and keep that dream alive.”
