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Martin Luther King Jr. Jan. 19 Celebration Honors Community Leaders

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Martin Luther King Jr. addresses a crowd from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial where he delivered his famous, “I Have a Dream,” speech during the Aug. 28, 1963, march on Washington, D.C.

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MANCHESTER, NH – The Martin Luther King (MLK) Coalition hosts the public annual celebration of Martin Luther King Day on Monday, January 19, 2026 at Memorial High School at 1 Crusader Way in Manchester. The event runs from 11:00am-4:00pm and will include refreshments. Doors open to the public at 11:00am.

The theme of the event is “Uplifting Resistance through Community.” The event will feature a panel discussion, moderated by Anthony Poore of the New Hampshire Center for Justice & Equity. Panelists will include Dr. Dottie Morris, Alderman Jason Bonilla and Rev. Robert Thompson.

Music will include performances by the Manchester Memorial High School jazz band, the Manchester Community Music School’s Queen City Youth Choir and a volunteer MLK Community Chorus who will sing Lift Every Voice and Sing and a rendition of the civil rights song, “We Shall Not Be Moved.”

At the event, the Coalition will present its annual Martin Luther King Award. This award recognizes someone in New Hampshire for their work, in keeping with the spirit of Dr. King, to advance the causes of racial justice, economic and social justice, peace, and the use of nonviolence to bring about change.

This year’s Martin Luther King awardee is Hon. Melanie Levesque. Hon. Melanie Levesque holds the historic distinction of being New Hampshire’s first African American State Senator. A tireless advocate, Melanie Levesque has championed essential causes including voting rights, the availability of quality public education for every child, and affordable and accessible healthcare.

This year’s Vanessa Johnson youth award goes to Representative Alice Wade, a state representative from Strafford County.

“The annual MLK Celebration bridges divisions in our society and helps us work together for a better future for us all,” said Rev. Jason Wells, a member of the MLK Coalition and pastor of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Goffstown, “I hope that everyone captivated by King’s faith-based vision for civil rights comes to find new friends also committed to the work of Beloved Community.”

The MLK Coalition’s members include:

  • American Friends Service Committee-NH
  • Greater Manchester Black Scholarship Foundation
  • Manchester Education Association
  • Manchester NAACP
  • National Education Association
  • City Year
  • NH Council of Churches
  • Temple Adath Yeshurun
  • St Matthew’s Episcopal Church, Goffstown

For more information about the Martin Luther King Coalition, please visit: https://mlknh.org/

To see and share this event on Facebook, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/events/881271224374958

CONTACT:

Rev. Jason Wells, (603) 497-2003, (603) 361-7151, info@mlknh.org

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