WASHINGTON, DC — Rev. Al Sharpton, founder/president of the National Action Network (NAN), will convene MLK Day celebrations on Monday, January 15 in Washington, D.C., New York City, and New Jersey to continue the impact, legacy, and mission of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on what would have been his 95th birthday. This year’s celebration is equally significant as the nation prepares to mark 60 years since the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
“We are not simply celebrating Dr. King’s legacy this year but coming together to publicly vow to protect it from those who wish to undo his work,” said Rev. Al Sharpton. “Right now, the Civil Rights Act he pushed President Johnson to pass in 1964 is under relentless attack, voting rights for Black Americans are being chipped away in dozens of states, and diversity in corporate America is on the brink. 2024 must be a year in which we make a stand to both protect the rights Dr. King fought for and expand them, so our children and grandchildren live in the just nation he envisioned.”
On January 15, Rev. Sharpton will host the 2024 Martin Luther King Jr. Day Awards Breakfast at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., beginning at 8:30 a.m. ET. The annual event brings together the top government, business, and civil rights leaders in the nation’s capital, with past keynote speakers including Presidents Obama and Biden. Rev. Sharpton and NAN also recognize elected officials, labor leaders, and entertainers who continue to advance Dr. King’s mission.
This year’s honorees include:
MLK Day Labor Leader of the Year Award: CWA President Claude Cummings Jr.
MLK Day Visionary Award: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Taraji P. Henson, President and Founder, & Tracie Jenkins, Executive Director, of the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation
MLK Day Youth Award: Deyona Burton, Youth Leader
MLK Day Lifetime Service of Excellence in the Arts Award: Phylicia Rashad, award-winning actress and Dean of Howard University’s Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts
MLK Day Education Award: Becky Pringle, President of NEA
After the event, Rev. Sharpton will travel to New York City for the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Policy Forum at the NAN House of Justice in Harlem. The rally will bring together New York city, state, and federal elected officials to reflect on Dr. King’s legacy as well as the work still left.
Finally, Rev. Sharpton will be the guest speaker at an MLK Day celebration in Jersey City, NJ, organized by NAN Northeast Regional Director Pastor Steffie Bartley. The Mt. Pisgah AME Church event, which begins at 6 p.m. ET, will feature prominent New Jersey leaders including current First Lady Tammy Murphy and former Gov. Jim McGreevey, as well as the multiple clergy leaders.
National Action Network is one of the leading civil rights organizations in the Nation with chapters throughout the entire United States. Founded in 1991 by Reverend Al Sharpton, NAN works within the spirit and tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to promote a modern civil rights agenda that includes the fight for one standard of justice, decency, and equal opportunities for all people regardless of race, religion, nationality, or gender.
For more information go to www.nationalactionnetwork.net.
