Honor Dr. King’s legacy at these MLK Day events around the Pittsburgh region

Photo above by Unseen Histories via Unsplash.

With schools and many workplaces closed on Monday, families have an opportunity to spend the day celebrating and learning about the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

It’s a perfect day to talk with your children about social justice and about the ways they can use their own voices to make their community a more equitable, just place.

There are also family-friendly events happening all around the Pittsburgh area on Monday, Jan. 15:

Hazelwood MLK Day Brunch at the Spartan Community Center, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Enjoy treats from Nicky P’s Café along with activities, musical performances and speakers who will share the life and legacy of Dr. King. Registration is free, but required.

Children’s Museum and MuseumLab MLK Day celebrations, various times from 11 a.m. through 5 p.m.

You’ll find an array of events happening on the North Side at the Children’s Museum/MuseumLab campus. The Children’s Museum will be open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and MuseumLab will be open from noon to 5 p.m. (MuseumLab entry is included with Children’s Museum admission). Events include:

• Story times with author Dominique Briggs (Children’s Museum) at 11 a.m., noon and 1 p.m.
• Collaborative art mural ‘Reaching for the Dream’ – a conversation started by Gwen’s Girls (MuseumLab), from noon to 5 p.m.
• Poetry workshops (MuseumLab) at 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.

And see the SLB Radio listing below for details on the “King’s Corner” and “Streaming Justice” events happening at the Children’s Museum, where SLB’s Youth Media Center is located.

“Justice in Action” at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater, 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.

The Kelly Strayhorn Theater honors Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy with activities, education and performances. Registration is “pay what moves you” starting at $2.

Repairing the World – Stories from the Tree of Life, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The students of Northgate High School’s No Place for Hate Youth Leadership Initiative, a project of the Anti-Defamation League, are hosting a spaghetti dinner from 5 to 6 p.m., followed by a viewing of the documentary “Repairing the World: Stories from the Tree of Life” Find out more details here.

King’s Corner and Streaming Justice at SLB Radio, various times

King’s Corner: Parents and children of all ages are invited to visit the SLB Radio Satellite Studio in the Big Red Room at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to hear, explore and talk about words of wisdom from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Streaming Justice: From 3 to 6 p.m., and repeating until midnight, tune in at SLB Radio and Youth Express for Streaming Justice, SLB Radio’s annual teen-hosted talk show about issues of civil rights and social justice.

(As of Jan. 10, the SLB team is still looking for a few more teen hosts for Streaming Justice: Students in Grades 6 to 12 are invited to help host one-hour segments of this live radio talk show, which is SLB’s annual Martin Luther King, Jr., Day live broadcast focusing on civil rights — past, present and future. The broadcast will feature 100% teen hosts and teen-selected topics, music, conversation, listener phone calls and more, all streaming live at www.youthexpress.org or via the TuneIn or the Simple Radio app. Complete details and a simple application are available right here.)

And don’t miss these upcoming events in celebration of civil rights and peaceful protest:

Jan. 17-23: Schooltime: The Courage to Stand, Heinz Hall.

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra hosts school groups for a special presentation of artistic defiance. The public can buy tickets for the Jan. 17 evening concert with pay-what-you-wish admission priced from free to $40.

January 19-28: “Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott” at the New Hazlett Theater

Prime Stage is back with another family-friendly show this month, which will tell the brave story of Rosa Parks and the bus boycott that was pivotal to the civil rights movement. There are sensory-friendly performances, audio described performances and ASL-interpreted performances. Find info on the various shows here.