Princeton Events in Honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Friday, January 13

YWCA Princeton Celebration –  Children from the YW’s after-school program will have art work on display, presentations will be made and a birthday cake will be served. YWCA all-purpose room, 12:30 p.m. Free.

Saturday, January 14

Dream Bags Project at the Historical Society of Princeton – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?'” In response to that question, children of all ages can combine arts and crafts with community service in the creation of “dream bags” filled with treats for patrons of the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen. Children can decorate their bags with drawings and words of MLK’s famous speech, as well as their own dreams and aspirations for the future. Cost is $5 per person  (ages 3 or older), $8/for 2, $10/for 3, $15/for 4. Free for Historical Society members. Takes place at the Updike Farmstead at 354 Quaker Road from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.. For more info. call (609)921-6748 ext. 102.


Monday, January 16

Princeton University King Day Celebration –  Princeton University will commemorate the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. with its annual King Day celebration, which will feature keynote speaker Bob Moses, the 2011-12 distinguished visiting fellow in Princeton’s Center for African American Studies. Moses was a leader in the 1960s civil rights movement, serving as a key figure in the Mississippi Summer Project of 1964 to register black voters and protest racial discrimination. He is the founder and president of the Algebra Project, a national nonprofit organization that has helped thousands of students in urban and rural school districts develop essential mathematical skills.

The event is free and open to the public. The celebration will be held in Richardson Auditorium of Alexander Hall. Doors open at 1 p.m. The program will begin at 1:15 p.m. with musical selections from A New Perspective Jazz Band, a youth quintet from Ewing. The ceremony will include the presentation of awards to student winners in grades 4-12 from area schools who entered an annual Martin Luther King Day-themed contest. The University also will present the MLK Day Journey Award, which recognizes a member of the Princeton faculty, staff or student body who best represents King’s continued journey.

Celebrating Dr. King Through the Arts – The Arts Council of Princeton, Kidsbridge and the Historical Society of Princeton are partnering to offer an afternoon of arts and crafts activities for children in honor of King Day.  The Arts Council will host and open house from 1-4 p.m. at the Paul Robeson Center for the Arts featuring creative hands-on workshops, student-led puppet shows and projects inspired by Dr. King’s words. The event is suitable for elementary and middle school students. The Princeton High School Community Service Group will assist with activities. The event is free and open to the public.

Princeton Interfaith Service – The Princeton Clergy Association will host its annual interfaith service in honor of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King at 7 p.m. at Mt. Pisgah AME Church, 170 Witherspoon Street. The Rev. Robert Moore, executive director of the Coalition for Peace Action and pastor of the East Brunswick Congregational Church, will be the preacher. Faith leaders and choirs from a range of traditions will participate in the service. During the service a free-will offering will be received that will be split between the United Negro College Fund and the Princeton-based Coalition for Peace Action.