LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 16, 2026) — More than five decades after the Civil Rights Movement, the ideals championed by the Martin Luther King Jr. continue to resonate across generations. Lexington’s annual MLK Holiday Celebration serves as both a moment of remembrance and an opportunity to reflect on how his enduring principles can be honored and carried forward.
The 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Celebration will take place Monday, Jan. 19, in downtown Lexington. This year’s theme, “The Right to Live, The Right to Choose: Health, Ballots & The Beloved Community,” invites the community to examine the enduring vision of King through the interconnected lenses of public health, voting rights and collective responsibility.
Thousands are expected to gather for the annual Freedom March at 1 p.m., followed by the commemorative program at 2 p.m. at Central Bank Center.
For Ja’Mahl McDaniel, director of the University of Kentucky Martin Luther King Center and MLK Holiday Celebration committee member, the Freedom March is one of the most visible ways King’s vision comes to life each year.
“The Freedom March helps bring Dr. King’s vision into focus by bringing people together in a meaningful way,” McDaniel said. “It’s a chance for our campus and community to stand in unity, reflect on the past and recognize that the work he started is still ongoing.”
Moving together through the city, participants are reminded that progress has always depended on collective effort. The commemorative program that follows builds on that shared experience, centering voices that connect King’s legacy to the realities shaping communities today.
“We will hear from voices within our community and enjoy a powerful keynote from Rev. Devon Jerome Crawford, a dedicated advocate for social change who has both learned from and taught about Dr. King’s enduring legacy,” McDaniel said.
Crawford has spent years engaged in the fight for human and civil rights as an organizer, activist and Christian minister. His work is rooted in an ethic of love, peace and compassion, guided by a commitment to the realization of what King called “the Beloved Community.”
While studying at Morehouse College, Crawford served as president of the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel Assistants Program and was named a Martin Luther King Jr. Scholar.
In the wake of the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, he helped organize hundreds of students to peacefully protest, march and advocate for community-centered public safety reforms. Those efforts marked a turning point, merging his academic training with a lifelong calling to justice.
In addition to the keynote address, this year’s celebration includes a powerful visual component — the photo exhibition “Witness to History: The Photography of Moneta Sleet, Jr.” Made available by Owensboro-based Through Sleet’s Eyes Festival and co-sponsored by the Alpha Beta Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, the exhibit adds a visual dimension to the day’s themes.
Moneta Sleet Jr., a Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer and Owensboro native, documented the American experience for more than 40 years. His work captured intimate moments of the Civil Rights Movement, including iconic images of King, as well as influential figures in politics, entertainment and culture.
The exhibit offers more than historical documentation, it invites personal connection.
“Moneta Sleet Jr.’s photography captures civil rights history in a deeply personal way, allowing viewers to see the movement through real moments and real people,” McDaniel said. “Our hope is that the exhibit helps viewers connect more personally to the movement and better understand its lasting impact.”
Through Sleet’s lens, history becomes immediate and human. His images capture the courage, vulnerability and resolve of individuals whose choices shaped the fight for justice — reminding viewers that today’s struggles for health equity, voting access and human dignity are rooted in lived experience.
That connection between history and the present has defined the Lexington MLK Holiday Observance for more than half a century.
Founded at UK in 1973 — 13 years before the federal holiday was established — the Lexington celebration is one of the longest-running MLK Day observances in the nation. Each year, it brings together people from across Central Kentucky to honor King’s legacy and consider how it must be carried forward.
McDaniel sees the celebration as an opportunity for participants to leave with a renewed sense of responsibility.
“Our hope is always for participants to gain perspective and inspiration to do more to honor the life and legacy of MLK,” McDaniel said. “That includes identifying how they can help ensure Lexington embodies the Beloved Community through service and action.”
You can hear more from McDaniel and committee member Jay Alexander about Lexington’s MLK Holiday Celebration in this week’s episode of “Behind the Blue” above.
The 2026 MLK Holiday Observance is free and open to the public. Community members can learn more or support the celebration at the MLK Day Committee website.
About ‘Behind the Blue’
“Behind the Blue” is available via a variety of podcast providers, including Apple Podcasts, YouTube and Spotify. Subscribe to receive new episodes each week, featuring UK’s latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists, writers and the most important news impacting the university.
“Behind the Blue” is a joint production of the University of Kentucky and UK HealthCare. Transcripts for this or other episodes of “Behind the Blue” can be downloaded from the show’s blog page.
