By Gabriel Solis
The 40th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration took place on Wednesday, Feb. 4 at the Wealthy Theatre in Grand Rapids. The event had previously been scheduled for Jan. 19, the federal holiday honoring King, but was postponed due to inclement weather. Billed as “a call to courageous community action,” the evening was both a celebration of King’s life and legacy and a discussion on how his teachings can be applied moving forward.
The event was kicked off by Jerry Price, Belonging Partner Advisor for Corewell Health, who began the ceremony and introduced each speaker and performer. The evening featured artistic performances including music and spoken-word poetry by local artists, as well as speeches by prominent community members and a panel discussion.
Speakers emphasized King’s concept of Beloved Community, and the idea that King’s vision can only be achieved through healthy and consistent community action.
“One of the things that I hope spawns from this is an ongoing, safe community conversation, so we can get to the solutions of our current problems,” said Rev. Jerry Bishop, one of the speakers on the panel.
Beyond statements about King’s dream and legacy, the panelists and other participating speakers discussed at length what the Grand Rapids community can do to apply his teachings to their lives, in spite of the adversity that they may face.
“If you’re doing nothing, then nobody’s saying anything…the attacks are going to come, and (we have to) still stay in that place of ‘we’re doing what’s right for our community,’” said Dr. Leadriane Roby, Superintendent of Grand Rapids Public Schools and the other panelist on the stage.
Bishop later echoed the sentiment, stating: “We have to have the faith that every day that we get out, we ought to get out…to simply go make a difference. Unapologetically. Extremely passionate and unapologetic about launching out and fighting for the injustices.”
While King’s work was pivotal to the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s, the conversation at the event was not limited to the struggles of the African-American community. Speakers discussed systemic oppression in all forms, and touched on topical issues such as the increasing Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity throughout the U.S., including the shooting of Renée Good.
“January 7, 2026. Murder made another mother meet a man-made end,” went a poem written and read onstage by Caleb Rainey, an author and poet who performs under the name “The Negro Artist.” Rainey’s emotional reading was among many passionate words that contributed to the intimate and vulnerable atmosphere of the event, which he says is essential.
“When I’m up there, I feel more in tune with truth than almost any other point in my life,” he said after the event. “And so, yes, it takes courage and bravery, but at the same time, the vulnerability is the part that empowers me.”
Elsewhere in the evening, honors were given to the five high-school recipients of the 2025-2026 MLK Inherit the Dream scholarship. Each recipient was brought onstage and congratulated for their achievement. At least one student who was awarded the scholarship will be attending Grand Rapids Community College.
This event marks the 40th annual observance sanctioned by GRCC to honor King. In the past, the event has drawn prominent speakers such as Martin Luther King III and Sybrina Fulton, the mother of Trayvon Martin. The rich history of GRCC’s King Day observances was commemorated during the ceremony with a speech by Bobby Springer, chair of Grand Valley State University’s MLK Commemoration Week Executive Planning Committee, and with a short retrospective video.
The ceremony was live-streamed on Vimeo, and can be viewed in full here.
