Several events scheduled leading to Tulsa’s MLK Jr. parade

TULSA, Okla. — Several events are scheduled in Tulsa ahead of the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Parade.

The parade, themed this year as “We Are Stronger When Working Together,” is scheduled for Jan. 16, but the MLK Commemoration Society announced events starting as early as Jan. 11.

“Given our unique history, Tulsa is a city that is always eager to celebrate Dr. King’s legacy,” said Pleas Thompson, president of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration Society. “In addition to having one of the largest MLK parades in the nation, we also have a lot of other rich opportunities for education and engagement in the days leading up to the parade. We encourage everyone to participate.”

Here is a look at the schedule of events:

“Dream Out Loud” Career Strategies for Student Success

• Wed., Jan. 11, 2023           
  • 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Tulsa Technology Center, Peoria Campus, 3850 N. Peoria. High School students (grades 10-12) will navigate through career exploration sessions for career success after a general session in the auditorium. Topics include Criminal Justice, Welding, EMS, Cosmetology/Barber, Health Science Technology, Early Care & Education). Lunch will be provided. This event is underwritten by MLK Commemoration Society, Tulsa Tech and the Tulsa County Sheriff’s office.

“Keepin’ It Real” Student Leadership Forum (Invitation-Only)

• Fri., Jan. 13, 2023              
  • 9:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. Kuma Roberts of Arrowhead Consulting, LLC, will facilitate this student forum at OSU-Tulsa. More than 200 Tulsa-area high school students will participate in this leadership event that will educate and engage students in a discussion about the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Students will be challenged to view current events through the prism of history and explore how they might become more engaged in activism in the spirit of Dr. King. Sponsored by Phillips Theological Seminary.

MLK Student Awards & Sponsor Dinner (Invitation-Only)

• Fri., Jan. 13, 2023              
  • 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Boston Avenue United Methodist Church, 1301 S. Boston Avenue (in the Jubilee Gym), Tulsa, Oklahoma. We will celebrate the winners of the student art, dance, essay, and oratorical contests, culminating in the presentation of Dr. King’s classic “I Have a Dream” speech by the 2nd Place winner of the MLK Commemoration Society’s Oratorical Contest, sponsored by ONE Gas, Inc.

Walk in Peace. The goal of the walk is to allow participants to reflect

• Sun., Jan. 15, 2023            
  • 5:15 p.m. upon Dr. King’s legacy and the principles in which he believed. Participants are invited to park at Boston Avenue United Methodist Church at 13th & Boston and take the shuttle provided to the walk’s starting point at 7th and Cincinnati. The procession will begin promptly at 5:30 p.m.

MLK Interfaith Community Commemorative Service

• Sun., Jan. 15, 2023            
  • 6 p.m. at Boston Avenue United Methodist Church, 1301 S. Boston Ave. The speaker for the Interfaith services is Senior Pastor Jamal Dyer of Friendship Church – Tulsa. Kriti Gopi, a sophomore at Union High School and winner of the 2023 MLK Oratorical Contest, will recite Dr. King’s classic “I Have a Dream” speech.

Founders’ Community Breakfast

• Mon., Jan. 16, 2023           
  • 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. at First Baptist Church North Tulsa, 1414 N. Greenwood Ave, in Stalnaker Hall. Sponsored by the FBCNT Men/Women’s Ministries and the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, this event is free to the public. First Baptist hosted a service in Tulsa where Dr. King spoke in the 1960s.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Parade

• Mon., Jan. 16, 2023           
  • 11 a.m. Each year, over 100 entries participate in the Tulsa MLK Parade with themed floats, music and marchers. Thousands of people are expected to attend the parade that begins at the corner of N. Detroit Ave. and John Hope Franklin Blvd. and meanders through historic Greenwood Avenue to Archer, ending near ONEOK Field. This year’s parade begins at 11 a.m. and will air live on KTUL-ABC’s News Channel 8 beginning at 11 a.m. Parade winners will be announced during the festivities.

The organization is actively seeking volunteers for Parade Day. For additional information, please visit www.mlktulsa.com, call 918-492-9495 or email at ml******@gm***.com.

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