The Greater Peoria area is gearing up for events and observances in recognition of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday.
In Peoria, organizers have announced “The People’s March” from outside the Peoria Civic Center to Grace Baptist Church.
The event fills a void after the committee behind the city’s traditional MLK Day march opted to pause its programming for one year.
“I’m glad we were able to pull together community organizers, activists, advocates, and the residents of Peoria to make the March happen,” said Chama St. Louis-Boone, one of the organizers of The People’s March.
“We named it ‘The People’s March’ to highlight the efforts of regular everyday people putting this event together to honor Dr. King’s dream and legacy.”
Open to the public, The People’s March is scheduled to start at 2 p.m., with participants asked to arrive at 1:30 p.m. and gather near the Civic Center’s box office entrance.
The procession will move down the sidewalks along John Gwynn Jr. Avenue and Richard Pryor Place on its way to Grace Baptist Church for the MLK Day Celebration, featuring guest speakers and musical performances.
Joining St. Louis-Boone in the lineup of speakers will be City Council member Andre Allen, Peoria Public Schools Board of Education President Gregory Wilson, Illinois State Black Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Larry Ivory, and Black Panther Party member Elner Clark.
“With the current climate, it’s important now more than ever that we show solidarity and unity and push back against racism and fascism that is still plaguing Black and Brown communities today,” St. Louis-Boone said in a media release.
Spanky Edwards, founder of the Peoria Peace and Nonviolence Leadership Institute, will serve as host, and Rev. Claude White Jr. will give the closing remarks.
“Peoria has everything it needs to heal ourselves. We just have to reconstruct our resources in a manner that gives us an advantage,” Edwards said in the news release.
Participants unable to walk in the procession can join in a drive along the same route. Drivers will need to obey all traffic laws because the route will not be blocked off to regular traffic.
While the march will have marshals escorting the walk from the Civic Center to Grace Baptist Church, the return route after the program will not be marshaled.
Attendees are encouraged to dress warmly, with temperatures expected in the low 20s.
Other events over the three-day weekend include the Heritage Ensemble’s 26th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Choral Celebration, scheduled for 3 p.m. Sunday at the Illinois Central College Performing Arts Center in East Peoria.
