A library volunteer reads to the Arlington Independent School District step team after their performance. The volunteer read the children a book and engaged in conversations about Martin Luther King Jr.’s lasting legacy.
Despite cold winds, a steady stream of people filed into Arlington City Hall to celebrate the life of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and to recognize the volunteers who worked tirelessly during the Advancing the Dream Celebration.
The MLK Day of Service Festival started off strong Monday morning with step performances by the Arlington ISD step team from Peach Elementary and the Zeta Chi chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha in the lobby of City Hall. Their loud stomps and impactful words on MLK brought cheers from the growing crowd of parents, children and people from all walks of life.
Interior design junior Jakinda Opondo, member of the Alpha Phi Alpha step team, said his fraternity represented UTA with its step performance. Opondo said King was once a brother in the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.
A member of Symphony Arlington performs during Arlington’s MLK Day of Service Festival on Jan. 19 at Arlington City Hall. The festival had several performances throughout the day by organizations and clubs from across the Arlington area.
“When you do everything with a purpose, legacy follows, and I really, truly, believe it,” he said.
Having worked several years on the MLK Celebration Committee, committee member Richard Raleigh said the events each year are a great way to meet people and connect with the community.
“It’s great for them to learn about the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King and to understand how that helps our lives right now, and how that can translate to helping us continue to be motivated and inspired to move forward on things and just embracing the different people,” Raleigh said.
Symphony Arlington and the Innovative Dance Inc. performed in the early afternoon and were followed by the MLK essay winner Aniyah Butler.
Arlington resident Tenisha Polk-Potts, 37, and her daughter participate in free crafts provided by the Arlington Public Library during Arlington’s MLK Day of Service Festival on Jan. 19 at the George W. Hawkes Downtown Library. Polk-Potts and her daughter spent the morning volunteering with Mission Arlington and finished the day with crafts and snacks at the library.
In the council chamber, festivalgoers watched some of King’s most notable speeches, as well as the documentary “Echoes From the Hills,” which discusses a historically black neighborhood and postslavery Black life in Arlington. Both showed multiple times during the day.
Face painting, coloring and snacks were provided to children and performers at the event in the George W. Hawkes Downtown Library. A timeline of King’s life was displayed near the entrance. Dozens of children lined up for chips and cocoa, faces painted with vibrant colors.
Arlington resident and Mission Arlington volunteer Tenisha Polk-Potts, 37, took her daughter to volunteer Monday morning at Mission Arlington with her sorority, the Xi Theta Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha.
The Arlington Independent School District step team performs during Arlington’s MLK Day of Service Festival on Jan. 19 at Arlington City Hall. The festival is an annual tradition to celebrate Arlington’s MLK volunteers and their families.
“We are honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and also creating exposure to the younger generation as to what does a day of service mean,” Polk-Potts said. “So it’s giving back to the community, and specifically the Arlington community.”
Arlington resident Trina Freeman, 46, is the treasurer of the MLK Celebration Committee, which oversaw the implementation and preparation of the four-day celebration. She said this event is about bringing the community together and celebrating the dream King had.
“It’s important to get every generation involved. I’m in one generation, but there’s the younger ones, the older ones, everybody comes together, and it’s one unity in one city,” she said. “American dream.”
@atclements03