TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Cities across the country are shutting down some of their streets Monday morning for marches honoring civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr..
Tucson's annual MLK Day Celebration kicks off at 10 a.m. at Reid Park with a prayer and a three-mile march around the park's perimeter.
Organizers Chair Grady Scott and Vice Chair Larry Starks say they want to make the event as accessible as possible, allowing participants to jump in at any point and following the procession with a van to pick up anyone who may need a break.
The march—like many across the country—mirrors Dr. King's signature method of peaceful resistance.
“We’ve not yet achieved the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King— of a unified America— and so the march, the parade, the celebration, the walk is a way of calling attention to the fact that we are not where we should be but we thank God that we are not where we used to be,” Scott said.
After the march, participants will end up back at the Reid Park Ampitheater for a music and poetry performances on the park lawn.
In 1994, U.S. Congress established MLK day as a 'Day of Service' to encourage Americans to spend the federal holiday to include community service in their celebration.
Something Starks says the black community had been doing for years.
“It's not just in the black community— where the service happened every year because that was what we heard: ‘it’s not a day off, it's not just to commemorate Martin Luther King on one day, it’s throughout the year," he said. "So now the community now understands, you know, it's a day of service.”
“Dr. King said anyone could be great because anyone can serve, so that's why a day of service is part of the celebration,” Scott added.
United Way of Arizona is promoting two projects for the community to get involved in throughout the day.
1. Buffelgrass Removal near the Desert Museum
Volunteers will help remove buffelgrass, an invasive plant that threatens native desert plants and increases wildfire risk. This work helps protect the Sonoran Desert ecosystem and preserve habitat for wildlife.
Volunteers will meet at the Desert Museum Education Annex Breezeway and hike approximately 1.5 miles up a wash to the project site. Once there, volunteers will assist with identifying and removing buffelgrass alongside project leaders. This is a hands-on outdoor project involving hiking and moderate physical activity.
Learn more here.
2. VITA & EITC Community Outreach at Dunbar Pavilion
Volunteers will support the VITA team by distributing service flyers throughout the Dunbar neighborhood to promote the VITA tax assistance site at Dunbar Pavilion and share educational materials about the Earned Income Tax Credit. This outreach helps ensure community members are aware of free tax preparation services available to them.
Learn more here, and see more ways to be involved here.
——
Alex Dowd is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9, where her work combines her two favorite hobbies: talking to new people and learning about the community around her. Her goal is to eventually meet every single person in Tucson. Share your story ideas with Alex via email, alex.dowd@kgun9.com, or connecting on Instagram or X.
