Music, acts of service, speakers, art: Here’s how Johnson County celebrates MLK Day

Olathe and Prairie Village are the places to be in Johnson County if you’re looking for events related to Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Students in the Olathe School District have been considering the theme “What affects one directly affects all indirectly” as inspiration for essays and artistic creations as part of the district’s annual contest.

Across the district, students in middle and high school had the chance to contribute entries in the essay, visual arts or multi-media categories.

Each category has three finalists for each of the two age groups. The finalists will find out if they’ve won their respective categories at the celebration taking place at 11 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 15 at Olathe Northwest High School.

The most popular category has been essays, followed by visual arts. The latter can include anything from acrylic paintings to sculptures.

Marquis Harris, assistant director for culture and belonging for the Olathe School District, said the message was always about how communities unify and serve one another. “And the students embody that. They do it in a way that’s their voice.”

The Olathe Human Relations Commission, the Olathe Public Arts Committee, Garmin employees, members of the community and district employees all worked together to judge the entries of the building-level finalists to come up with district-wide finalists and winners.

Students were able to take the theme and run with it however they liked, connecting it to topics such as pollution and bullying. They will read their essays or show their art and multimedia works and discuss their inspirations for the pieces at the ceremony. It is the first time since January 2020 that the ceremony will be in person.

Village Church in Prairie Village

In Prairie Village, the Second Annual Annual I Have A Dream Home Action & MLK Celebration will take place from 4 to 5:30 Jan. 14 at Village Church, 6641 Mission Road. Organizers say it’s part of the city’s campaign to welcome diverse neighbors. The event will spotlight local artists, poets, speakers and educators.

The program is sponsored by STAND Up for Black Lives+ Prairie Village, the city of Prairie Village Diversity Committee, the Johnson County NAACP and Village Church.

MidAmerica Nazarene University

MidAmerica Nazarene University is holding a celebration for the holiday at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17 at College Church of the Nazarene in Olathe.

The program will feature a talk by nursing faculty member Victoria Haynes as well as one by Ashford Collins, the recipient of the university’s Martin Luther King Jr. Living Legacy Award. Collins is vice principal of Valley Park Elementary School in Blue Valley.

The ceremony will also feature scripture readings and music from the university’s choir.

“We would love for public to join us. There’s plenty of space to come and join in and be reminded about what Dr. King did and how he continues to inspire others, especially hopefully here on our campus,” said Carol Best, public relations manager for MidAmerica Nazarene.

It’s not the only way the university is honoring the holiday. Although classes are not in session Jan. 16, the school’s administration is encouraging students to spend that time engaging in community service projects.

Students also had the option to sign up for a driving tour of Kansas City focusing on the practice of redlining, a field trip that filled up quickly.

At 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 19, the school will host a panel discussion with previous recipients of the legacy award at its Bell Cultural Events Center.

Olathe’s Indian Creek Library

The library will also be holding a variety of events Jan. 16 for the holiday, with children’s crafts, storytime and screenings of the films “Selma, Lord, Selma” and “Selma.” The branch will also have family-friendly service projects available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The temporary downtown branch of the Olathe library will also host service projects from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Both libraries will have receptacles available for a Martin Luther King, Jr.-inspired food drive from Jan. 14 to Feb. 14.