Fifteen years after Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968, following a massive public campaign helmed by Coretta Scott King and Stevie Wonder, then-President Ronald Reagan reluctantly signed a bill commemorating the racial justice legacy of the civil rights leader. The 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. holiday unfolds in a year already punctuated by public outrage as the Trump administration defends Immigration and Customs Enforcement violence and seeks to erase the nation's racist history. At the Kennedy Center, which Trump retained control over last year after criticizing "woke" programming, an annual concert celebrating King, Let Freedom Ring, has opted to play elsewhere.
Cultural institutions across New York City, including the newly reopened Studio Museum in Harlem, are upholding commitments to honor the civil rights leader on a day his wife once described as "a focal point for encouraging improved race relations."
Below are five events commemorating the civil rights titan's life and legacy — from family-friendly activities to Mayor Zohran Mamdani performing one of King's sermons at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
The Studio Museum in Harlem
After a seven-year closure, the Studio Museum will celebrate its first-ever Martin Luther King Jr. Day in its new building on Monday, January 19. During a free day of programming at the Harlem museum campus, the institution will lead the public of all ages in activities commemorating King's activism. The day will begin with a children's storytime featuring books written or illustrated by individuals of African descent; later in the day, the museum will host thematic art-making workshops, and curators will tour visitors through resonant works in its collections. The event is free and open to the public.
Brooklyn Children's Museum
From 10am to 5pm on Monday, the Brooklyn Children's Museum in Crown Heights will hold a day-long programming series including shadow puppetry, community service projects, and an appearance by Grammy-nominated musician and social justice advocate Harold "FYÜTCH" Simmons II. Tickets are $15.
Wave Hill: Freedom Quilters of Gee’s Bend
On Sunday, January 18, from 10 am to 1 pm, family members are invited to create fabric collages in honor of King and the legacy of Gee’s Bend quilters at the Wave Hill House in the Bronx. The activity draws upon the history of Gee’s Bend in Alabama, home to one of the most extraordinary quilting traditions in American history. A group of Black craftswomen in the community formed the Freedom Quilting Bee cooperative after King visited the area in 1966. The event is free with admission to Wave Hill House.
Beyond Vietnam: MLK’s Call for Peace at the New York Historical
From 12 pm to 2 pm on Sunday, the New York Historical will hold a family-friendly activity drawing upon King's 1967 anti-war speech at Manhattan's Riverside Church, "Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence." The institution will also host a peace sign wall-hanging workshop. The event is free with admission to the museum.
BAM's 40th Annual King Tribute
The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) in the Fort Greene neighborhood is hosting its 40th annual tribute event on Monday, with a reading of Dr. King's “Drum Major Instinct” sermon performed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani and others. Events for children include a movement activity and a letter-writing workshop. BAM will also present a screening of the film Just Mercy (2019). Doors to this free public event open at 8 am. Some events require registration.