The City of Bloomington’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. birthday celebration will now begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Buskirk Chumley Theatre Monday, January 19.
That’s so IU football fans who want to attend the event can also watch the Hoosiers play in the national championship game.
The city’s celebration was originally scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. and end at 8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public and now will end at 7:15 p.m.
The event will focus on the contributions of women in the civil rights movement. The theme is Soul, Spirit & Sacrifice: Honoring the Legacy of Coretta Scott King and the Women Who Faced America to Save U.S.
Historian Dr. Traci Parker will be the keynote speaker.
The 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Award will also be presented. It recognizes people, businesses or organizations whose work reflects values demonstrated by Dr. King.
This year’s recipient is Ruth Aydt, a member of Monroe County NAACP and a regular volunteer at the Neal Marshall Black Culture Center.
Last year, the award was given to Beverly Calender-Anderson, the former head of the Community and Family Resources Department for the City of Bloomington.
The annual event is organized by the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration Commission.
