Community members and King County employees are invited to join in honoring our nation’s foremost human rights leader and King County’s namesake, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, in a virtual celebration on Thursday, Jan. 14.

The theme for the 2021 Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration is “Creating the Beloved Community” and the accompanying quote is “A democracy cannot thrive where power remains unchecked and justice is reserved for a select few. Ignoring these cries and failing to respond to this movement is simply not an option — for peace cannot exist where justice is not served.” – US Congressman John Lewis  

The 2021 Celebration keynote will be delivered by Dr. Ben Danielson, Former Director of the Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic. The event will also include music and a spoken word performance. More details are available on the event website. 

Essential employees that are reporting to their regularly assigned work site can order a 2021 MLK Jr. calendar by using this online order form. There is a limit of one calendar per employee and is only available via interoffice mail for King County staff. The calendar is not available for King County staff working from home. Digital  media that centers this year’s artwork, theme and quote including a virtual meeting background, desktop background, and phone lock screen background will be available soon for download to employees who are teleworking. 

The 2021 Larry Gossett Service Award nomination is now closed. The award recipient for the first annual Larry Gossett Service Award will be announced at the celebration. This year’s celebration is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021, noon to 1 p.m. It will be a virtual event in keeping with Public Health guidance and safety.  King County employees and community members will be able to access the event link on the event website on Jan. 14. Community members will also be able to tune into KCTV Channels 22 and 322 (HD) at 12pm on Jan. 14 to watch the event.

For more information contact Michael Padilla, MPadillaOCampo@kingcounty.gov.