By: Katie Sellers
Cincinnati, OH — On January 19th, 2026 several hundreds of Cincinnati residents, faith leaders, and elected officials joined together to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The windchill was two degrees, when Rabbi Gary Zola welcomed marchers in front of the Freedom Center. For 51 years, residents of Cincinnati have honored Dr. King with a holiday march organized by the Martin Luther King, Jr. Coalition.
Like they have for half a century prior, they began the event with prayer. “We always begin this march with prayer,” explained one speaker, because “faith was at the heart of what motivated people” in the civil rights movement. The leading prayers invoked the spiritual inspiration of Dr. King, first in the Baptist tradition and later in the nonviolent movement of India. Reverend Pastor Joaquin Marvin of Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church offered the first prayer, while a priest from the Hindu Temple of Greater Cincinnati, Acharya Surendra Mishra, gave the next. Together, they led the crowd in prayers for justice, freedom, and peace, before beginning the walk from the Freedom Center to Washington Park. Those who were unable to walk, were invited to get on a “Rosa Parks Bus,” transportation provided by Metro for free, to transport attendees from the Freedom Center to Washington Park.
Those able to walk proceeded up Vine Street and over to Elm, as neighbors passed out warm drinks and hand warmers, and shouted friendly greetings from windows along the route. This kept the spirit warm, despite the cold outside.
The march concluded in Washington park, where more speakers prayed over the community, including leaders from Mt. Washington United methodist Church and the Islamic Center of Mason. As the crowd was invited to the next part of the day’s program in Music Hall, the final speaker reminded everyone to work together to “bend the arc toward justice.”
At Music Hall, the Red Cross passed out more warm drinks to attendees, as they entered the building, and inside, Trihealth offered free health checks at a row of tables set up in the lobby.
As the audience was let into their seats, musicians with Baba Charles and the Samba Band played songs from across the Afro-Caribbean diaspora and led the audience in a sing along, before making space for students from UC’s National Pan-Hellenic Council to welcome the community with dance.
The MLK Chorale and Youth Chorus provided music throughout the program, in between presentations by Mayor Aftab Pureval, youth poet Joi Burton, and public health leaders from TriHealth Center for Health Equity. ASL Interpreters offered live translation throughout the program, another sign that everyone was welcome here. The Director of the MLK Day Choral and Youth Chorus, Molly Brewsaugh, underscored this welcome, when she invited participants to join the choir. “If you ever wonder how you can make an impact…come and sign with us…. we would love to have you.”
TV broadcaster Courtis Fuller served as the Master of Ceremonies, reminding the audience from the start that “We need to tell those stories…we didn’t get her by ourselves.” He reminded the audience of great Cincinnati leaders in the fight for civil rights, several of whom had passed away in the year prior, including one Freedom Rider, Mother Rosemond, who passed away the night before. “What has come out of this movement is what we need the most…We have to remember to keep God first in this movement,” shared Mr. Fuller, before introducing the Archbishop of Cincinnati, Most Rev. Robert G. Casey, who gave the invocation.
Associate Professor of Africana Studies, Holly Y. McGee gave the keynote address, “Who needs LMK Day, anyways?” (Everyone, she was quick to point out.) Professor McGee is a scholar known for facilitating tough conversations with her students, because, as she explained, “There’s no comfort in the growth zone; there’s no growth in the comfort zone.” If we are to learn to respond to our civic moment, we need to become accustomed to discomfort. “Justice is not a niche issue. It’s a shared civic responsibility.” Which is why, she explained, MLK Day is so important: “MLK Day is one of the few holidays that is built around a moral imperative…. dignity, equality, and the protection of every person’s rights.”
As we enter into this new year, when we might wonder if the arc of the moral universe really does bend toward justice, we would do well to remember that moral imperative and our responsibility to get involved so together in solidarity, we might help bend the arc.
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If you would like to get involved with the MLK Day Coalition or support their work in Cincinnati, you can write to them at marketing@mlkcoalition.org or donate on their website at www.mlkcoalition.org.