The city of Southfield and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Task Force will host the 32nd annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Peace Walk Celebration on Monday, January 16 beginning at 9 a.m. at Hope United Methodist Church, 26275 Northwestern Highway. 

The peace walk will depart from Hope United at 9:30 a.m., followed by an 11 a.m. program at the Southfield Pavilion, located in the Southfield Municipal Complex, 26000 Evergreen Road. WXYZ/WMYD News Anchor Malcom Maddox will serve as the master of ceremonies. The program will include remarks from Mayor Kenson Siver, MLK Task Force founder Barbara Talley, current MLK Task Force President Patricia Haynie, and a keynote address by Rev. Dr. Carlyle Stewart, III Spiritual Leader of Empowerment Church in Southfield. Dr. Stewart will present “Embracing the Legacy of Dr. King: Achieving Peace through Understanding.”   

The event will also feature the Presentation of Colors by the Buffalo Soldiers, Tuskegee Airmen and Southfield Police & Fire Departments; the Star Spangled Banner sung by Music Director Rubik Malien of St. John Armenian Church, performances by Hindu Temple Rhythms, vocalist Rosemerry Allen and the Wyoming Church Acapella Choir. The program will also include the presentation of the 2017 MLK Community Service Award, the MLK Youth Service Awards, a prayer for peace by Rabbi Yoni Dahen of Congregation Shaarey Zedek and the ringing of the Liberty Bell.   

Southfield was the first city in the state of Michigan to hold a Dr. King peace walk or march. The first Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Peace Walk took place on January 20, 1986, commemorating the first national observance of Dr. King’s birthday. The walk continues to grow in size and scope each year, with year-long educational and community outreach activities.   

For more information, call the MLK Task Force hotline at (248) 924-9MLK or visit www.mlktaskforcemi.org.