Contact: Will Jones
Marketing and Communications Manager
(513) 333-7558
(513) 802-7355
wjones@nurfc.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center Celebrates the Continued Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
King Legacy Awards Breakfast and Free General Admission to Museum Monday on January 21
CINCINNATI, OH (January 9, 2019) –The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center will host the 2019 King Legacy Awards Breakfast on Monday, January 21. Doors open at 7:30 a.m. and the breakfast begins at 8:00 a.m. The annual breakfast and program is presented in partnership with the Martin Luther King, Jr. Coalition and sponsored by Procter and Gamble, Xavier University, Western Southern Financial Group, University of Cincinnati, UC Health, Union Savings Bank and Guardian Savings Bank, Fifth Third Bank, and Mercy Health. Tickets for the breakfast are $40 per person, $20 for youth 18 and under. Seating is limited. To purchase tickets, call (513) 333-7706.The 2019 King Legacy Awards Breakfast program begins at 9:00 a.m. and will honor the participants of the King Legacy Youth Leadership Program. The King Legacy Youth Program provides leadership opportunities for graduates of the Youth Docent Program. This year’s keynote speaker is Dr. Holly Y. McGee, Assistant Professor of History at the University of Cincinnati.
The 44th annual MLK March will begin outside the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center immediately following the breakfast and awards. Marchers will depart at 10:30 a.m., proceeding to Fountain Square for an interfaith prayer service and continuing to Music Hall. All are welcome to participate. This annual march, which has been held in Cincinnati every year since Ohio declared Martin Luther King Day a state holiday in 1975, draws nearly a thousand people to reaffirm their commitment to Dr. King’s legacy and his tireless work for justice, equality and freedom.
The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center will open to the public at 12:00 p.m. with free general admission to the museum’s permanent exhibitions and special programming. Visitors may immerse themselves in The Rosa Parks Experience for an additional $5.00 or the Mandela: The Journey to Ubuntu exhibition for an additional $10.00.
Hoxworth Blood Center’s Annual MLK Day Blood Drive will begin at 11:00 a.m. on the third floor of the museum. To schedule an appointment, please call (513) 451-0910 or visit hoxworth.org/groups/mlk.
Activities and programs include:
- Free admission to permanent exhibitions
- Family-friendly, hands on activities
- Photobooth station
- Youth Docent performances
“We look forward to welcoming the public into our institution once more to celebrate the birth, life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and the courageous freedom heroes who uphold his vision,” says Dion Brown, President of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. “Through the recognition of our King Legacy Youth honorees and offering free general admission to visitors, we hope to inspire others to carry the ideals of Dr. King into their own communities.”
For more information about the breakfast or exhibits and programming at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, visit freedomcenter.org.
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About National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center opened in August 2004 on the banks of the Ohio River in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. Since then, more than 1.3 million people have visited its permanent and changing exhibits and public programs, inspiring everyone to take courageous steps for freedom. Two million people have utilized educational resources online at freedomcenter.org, working to connect the lessons of the Underground Railroad to inform and inspire today’s global and local fight for freedom. Partnerships include Historians Against Slavery, Polaris Project, Free the Slaves, US Department of State and International Justice Mission. In 2014, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center launched a new online resource in the fight against modern slavery, endslaverynow.org.