Jan 17 - 19 | MLK Day Holiday Events + Volunteer Opportunities
The D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Parade was conceived in 1977 by the late Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, founder of The Washington Informer and co-founder of the United Black Fund, alongside his wife, the late Wilhelmina J. Rolark, Esq., and the late Ralph “Petey” Greene, a noted community activist and radio personality. Through the vision and leadership of these three renowned civic figures, the District of Columbia became one of the first jurisdictions in the nation to host a parade honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. following his assassination on April 4, 1968.
The parade played an important role in the national movement to establish a federal holiday in Dr. King’s honor. Since its inception, it has served as both a commemoration and a call to action—reinforcing the ongoing work of government agencies, community-based nonprofit organizations, and private citizens committed to advancing peace and nonviolence locally and globally.
First held in 1979—six years before Dr. King’s birthday was designated a federal holiday—the parade predates what is now widely observed across the nation and around the world as a day of service, promoted as “A Day On, Not a Day Off.” The Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade symbolizes the enduring responsibility to continue Dr. King’s work and echoes his words: *“Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable… every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate
