Merced to hold annual Peace and Unity March to mark 25th year honoring MLK
The Merced community will rally for one of the nation’s greatest civil rights leaders on Monday with the 25th annual Peace and Unity March honoring the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Marchers will gather at the main entrance of the Merced County Fairgrounds at 900 Martin Luther King Jr. Way in Merced at 10 a.m. Monday.
The group is scheduled to set off from the fairgrounds at 11 a.m., ending the route at the Merced Theatre at West Main Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Way.
President Ronald Reagan signed Martin Luther King Jr. Day into law as a federal holiday in 1983. The day marks the slain civil rights leader’s birthday — and has come to represent a national day of service in recognition of King’s advocacy for equity and positive change.
Communities across the Merced region and beyond are encouraged to pay tribute to King’s spirit by using the day off to give back.
Mercedians can also honor King by learning more about his life and beliefs through a free performance at Playhouse Merced. The show runs from 3:30-5 p.m. Monday.
Titled “My Letter to Dr. King,” the play is an original production of how the civil rights leader’s activism inspired and impacted the lives of many, according to the theater’s website. The performance’s inspiration is drawn from King’s “Letters from a Birmingham Jail.”
Note: a previous version of this story reported Playhouse Merced would be showing “The Mountaintop.” The show has been canceled.
This story was originally published January 13, 2022 at 1:01 PM.
