Celebrating MLK Week

Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Week 2026

Join us at DC Public Library as we honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during MLK Week 2026! Beginning Monday, January 19, we invite families and community members to take part in inspiring programs and events throughout the week. Explore recommended reads, discover curated collections and exhibits that highlight Dr. King’s impact and the Civil Rights Movement in Washington, D.C., and learn the story behind the stunning MLK Mural – celebrating 40 years on display in the Great Hall of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library. Whether you attend an event, browse our resources, or simply visit to reflect, we welcome you to celebrate Dr. King’s enduring vision of justice, equality, and community with us.

The Making of a Mural

Rosa Parks and Don Miller in front of MLK Mural

Celebrating 40 years of the King Mural by artist Don Miller at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, D.C.

Discover the inspiring story behind the iconic King Mural at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library. From artist Don Miller’s vision in the 1980s to its unveiling on the first anniversary of the national holiday honoring Dr. King in 1986, this monumental work weaves together personal stories and pivotal moments from the Civil Rights Movement. Recently restored to its original brilliance, the mural remains a powerful symbol of justice, learning, and community.

Read the Full Article

MLK Day Celebration 2026

The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial statue in Washington DC

Monday, January 19, All day | Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library

Join us for a day celebrating Dr. King’s legacy with art, music, and conversation. Starting at 10 a.m., families can explore hands-on clay stations inspired by a 3D print of the MLK Memorial Statue in the Children’s Space. At noon, enjoy the Seasons of Love Ensemble MLK Memorial Concert with special remarks from the family of mural artist Don Miller. Then at 2 p.m., experience a Mosaic Theater performance and panel discussion as we honor the dream that continues to inspire us all.

Explore the day's events

Upcoming MLK Week Events

Find More MLK Week Events

Books for Kids and Families

Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr

Doreen Rappaport

We Dream a World

Yolanda Renee King

Martin and Anne The Kindred Spirits of Dr Martin Luther King Jr and Anne Frank

Martin & Anne: The Kindred Spirits of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Anne Frank

Nancy Churnin

Memphis, Martin and the Mountaintop

Alice Faye Duncan

Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me 'Round: My Story of the Making of Martin Luther King Day

Kathlyn J. Kirkwood

Books for Teens

King: A Life

Jonathan Eig

More Than A Dream

Yohuru Williams and Michael G. Long

We Are Your Children Too

P. O'Connell Pearson

Cover of the book Stamped, with red stripes behind the title and a silloutte of a Black person

Stamped: Racism, Anti-Racism and You

Jason Reynolds

A Time to Break the Silence

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Books for Adults

King of the North - Martin Luther King's Life of Struggle Outside the South

King of the North: Martin Luther King Jr.’s Life of Struggle Outside the South

Jeanne Theoharis

Letters to Martin

Randal Maurice Jelks

The Three Mothers

Anna Malaika Tubbs

A Wider Type of Freedom

Daniel Martinez HoSang

King: A Life

Jonathan Eig

Selected Works by Dr. King

Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?

Martin Luther King Jr.

Why We Can't Wait

Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Papers of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr.: The Last Interview and Other Conversations

Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Radical King

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Research and Learn

Black Freedom Struggle in the United States

Learn more about the foundation of ongoing racial injustice in the U.S. – and the fights against it.

Fight for Racial Justice and the Civil Rights Congress

Search over 56,000 pages of the Civil Rights Congress (CRC) involvement in notable civil rights and civil liberties issues such as Willie McGee, the Trenton Six, Martinsville Seven and many others.

Ralph J. Bunche Oral Histories Collection on the Civil Rights Movement

Search over 700 transcriptions of interviews of individuals who made history in the struggles for voting rights, against discrimination in housing, for the desegregation of the schools, to expose racism in hiring, in defiance of police brutality, and to address poverty in the African American communities.

D.C. Last Colony: Voting Rights and Home Rule

Explore the history of voting rights right here in the District in this DigDC collection featuring historic photos, political posters, pamphlets, sample ballots, political cartoons and more.

Black Lives Matter Memorial Fence Artifact Collection

The Black Lives Matter Memorial Fence Artifact Collection consists of posters, banners, clothing, photographs, and ephemeral objects attached to the Black Lives Matter Memorial Fence (BLM Fence) surrounding Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C, from June 2020 to January 2021.

History of the March on Washington

This collection is comprised of photographs, oral history interviews and transcripts, and newspapers from DC Public Library's digitized holdings that document various elements of the March on Washington.