Did you know the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. had a tie to Richmond? He was a friend of the Rev. Booker T. Anderson, pastor of Easter Hill United Methodist Church on Cutting Boulevard in the ’60s, and King spoke at the church during the Civil Rights movement.
The impressions King made are still evident throughout the city today, as there’s a street, a park and an elementary school named after him. The city has recently moved forward with a project to build a new community center at the Martin Luther King Jr. park and plans to begin construction later this year.
There’s also a colorful mural inspired by King’s “I Have a Dream Speech” that was installed at his namesake school in 2024 to remind students there to pursue their aspirations.
This year, Richmond residents can honor the King’s memory in many ways. Some of these events are annual traditions while there are a couple of new ones sparked by recent police violence both locally and nationally.
7 things to do in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- 7 things to do in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day in North Richmond
- MLK Jr. Day of Service will help beautify Richmond Greenway
- Bay Area Unity Vigil holds MLK Jr. day event to call for end to “state violence”
- Parchester neighborhood day of service for MLK Jr. Day
- Protest planned on Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- El Cerrito honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with rally, parade
- County supervisors to honor MLK Jr. life and legacy
- Related stories
Martin Luther King Jr. Day in North Richmond
The Watershed Project will lead planting efforts in the recently renovated Shields-Reid Park on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
The day’s agenda includes a native herbs workshop, planting and park cleanup.
MLK Jr. Day at Shields-Reid Park, Mon., Jan. 19, 1410 Kelsey St., 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
MLK Jr. Day of Service will help beautify Richmond Greenway
Richmond residents can help clean up the Richmond Greenway in honor of the legacy of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
The 19th annual MLK Day of Service calls for volunteers to join their neighbors for a day of civic engagement.
Activities along the Richmond Greenway will include weeding, mulching, garden maintenance and sign painting.
Tools and materials will be provided. Long pants, durable shoes, a hat and sunscreen are recommended. Children under 12 should be accompanied by an adult.
The event is co-sponsored by the Contra Costa Resource Conservation District and Earth Team.
MLK Day of Service, Mon., Jan. 19, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., Richmond Greenway between Seventh and Eighth streets.
Bay Area Unity Vigil holds MLK Jr. day event to call for end to “state violence”
On Martin Luther King Jr. day the Freedmen Federation and Faith In Action East Bay are inviting the community to Richmond’s Civic Center for the Bay Area Unity Vigil, described as “a peaceful, multicultural public gathering calling for an immediate end to state violence against families and children,” pointing to the recent killing of Renee Good in Minneapolis.
The vigil intends to honor King’s legacy of nonviolence, dignity, and justice, while “directly confronting the ongoing harm caused by state systems — particularly in schools and neighborhoods — by those sworn to protect our communities,” said a press release.
The vigil will feature prayers, poems, and songs, creating space for remembrance, healing, and collective resolve.
“We have already lost two members of our community in Richmond,” said Richmond City council member Claudia Jimenez, referring to two men shot to death by Richmond police officers in 2025. “Two households are now without the breadwinner who provided stability, protection, and care.”
Bay Area Unity Vigil, Mon., Jan. 19, 2 p.m.-3 p.m., 440 Civic Center Plaza.
Parchester neighborhood day of service for MLK Jr. Day
A morning park clean-up will be followed by a celebration in recognition of Martin Luther King Jr.
At this MLK Day of Service, volunteers will be asked to help beautify Parchester Park and its community center and surrounding areas from 9 a.m. until noon.
Activities will include refreshing the Mary Peace Head Memorial Garden with new planter boxes, soil and plants. Participants will also help weed, trim vegetation, and spread mulch at the park as well as clean up trash from nearby streets.
Volunteers are asked to dress for outdoor work. Tools, supplies and lunch will be provided.
Afterward, there will be a community celebration at the park from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.
MLK Day of Service, Mon., Jan. 19, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Parchester Park, 900 Williams Drive.
Protest planned on Martin Luther King Jr. Day
A demonstration against the Trump administration is planned as part of a Martin Luther King Jr. Day ceremony in El Sobrante.
The political action group Indivisible West Contra Costa has organized the protest at San Pablo Dam Road and Appian Way.
Organizers say they want to acknowledge the civil rights legacy of King while protesting the “tyranny” of the current presidential administration.
“Dr. King was committed to nonviolent resistance, using peaceful protests to fight injustice,” event organizers said. “We share in the core principles Dr. King held: nonviolence, equality and human dignity, justice, community and hope.”
Participants are asked to bring food, towels and toiletries to donate to those in need.
Indivisible protest, Mon., Jan. 19, 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., San Pablo Dam Road and Appian Way, El Sobrante.
El Cerrito honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with rally, parade
El Cerrito will honor Martin Luther King Jr. Monday with a 37th annual event that includes a parade followed by a rally at El Cerrito High School.
The parade begins at 10 a.m. at El Cerrito City Hall, followed by the rally at 11 a.m.
El Cerrito MLK Jr. Day parade and rally. Gather for the parade a 9 a.m. at city hall, 10890 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito; 11 a.m. rally at the high school, 540 Ashbury Ave., El Cerrito.
County supervisors to honor MLK Jr. life and legacy
Humanitarian of the Year. Courtesy of Contra Costa County
Contra Costa County supervisors will pay tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. at their 48th annual celebration that will include honoring the county’s 2025 Humanitarian of the Year and the Student Humanitarian of the Year.
The board renamed the adult humanitarian award in honor of former supervisor Federal D. Glover, who died last year. It is being given to Gaby Ghorbani, founder of the Alamo-based Pledge to Humanity, which provides local and global volunteer opportunities for students and empowers them to become compassionate changemakers, according to her LinkedIn page.
The student award will go to Richmond Youth Council member Yenell Elena Velazquez of Summit Tamalpais High School-Hilltop in Richmond, who is being recognized for embracing “her diverse local community by weaving social justice issues into her work to create balance and equity as a young lady growing up in a changing community.”
This year’s event theme is “Democracy as a Verb: Building on Dr. King’s Legacy in Contra Costa.”
A free buffet lunch will follow.
Martin Luther King Jr. ceremony, Tue., Jan. 20, 11 a.m., Board of Supervisors chambers, 1025 Escobar St., Martinez.
For more things to do, see our weekly What’s Up column and our list of ongoing events (many of which are free). Also, don’t forget to add your events to our free community calendar.
