Thursday, January 14, 11:45am-1pm, this event will be held on-line on the Ohio Department of Administrative Services website

The 36th annual Ohio Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Celebration will be held virtually on Thursday, January 14 at 11:45am. Typically held at Trinity Episcopal Church on Capitol Square in downtown Columbus, this year’s event was prerecorded and may be viewed at das.ohio.gov/mlk.

The Ohio Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission will recognize the winners of the 2021 MLK Awards, that honor Ohioans for their efforts to advance nonviolent social change. Awards will be presented in the following categories:

• Governor’s Humanitarian Award

• Community Building Award

• Cultural Awareness Award

• Economic Opportunity Award

• Educational Excellence Award

• Health Equity and Awareness Award

• Social Justice Award

• Youth: Capturing the Vision of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

A highlight of the event each year is the student speakers who took first place in their respective age divisions at the annual Statewide Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Youth Oratorical Contest, which is also sponsored by the Ohio Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission. Although the 2020 contest was canceled, the prerecorded event will feature videos of several students who had competed in regional contests and had advanced to the statewide competition level.

For additional information, and to join us on-line for the event, please visit das.ohio.gov/mlk.

Hosted by Ohio Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission.