Juneteenth

2025 Juneteenth 4K Freedom Walk & Festival (Community Block Party)- Event Recap

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center Events ,

On Saturday, June 14, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center, in collaboration with The Walls Project, hosted the 2025 Juneteenth 4K Freedom Walk & Festival (Community Block Party) in efforts to bring culture, joy, and action to the heart of South Dallas.

Over 1,100 attendees enjoyed free food, including 1,000 lbs. of Crawfish, 1,000 meals from In-N-Out, snow cones from Kona Ice, and Smokey John’s BBQ; the Kid Zone, which included 10 bounce houses, water slides, and interactive games; live performances from R&B Singer Reuben Lael, Dallas Rapper Dorrough, and other local artists; and more than 75 community vendors with food, apparel, informational resources, and free giveaways.

Community Partners included the City of Dallas Office of Community Care & Empowerment, Dallas Park & Recreation, The Walls Project, Tenet Healthcare/United Surgical Partners International, World Vision, Accident & Injury Chiropractic, Altair Global, City of Dallas Office of Arts & Culture, In the City For Good, Oncor, KHAM Radio, Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce, Miles of Freedom, LIRA, Empowering the Masses, HELP, In-N-Out Burger, and Hiland Dairy.

 

 

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2024 Juneteenth 4K Freedom Walk & Festival- Celebrating 50 Years (Event Recap)

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center Events

On Saturday, June 15, 2024, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center hosted its 50 Anniversary Juneteenth 4K Freedom Walk & Festival. This year’s theme was “2024 Time to Soar! The Sky is the Limit.”

There were more than 300 registered participants in the 4K Freedom walk, which included community partners, nonprofits, volunteers, and other supporters of the MLK, Jr. Community Center. Attendees enjoyed 60 unique vendors, free food and treats, and fun activities for children, including a mechanical bull and bounce house.

Special guests included Willie Minor, Master of Ceremony; Lauren Mosely, Vocalist; Diva Elite Dance Team; UNT Voices of Praise Gospel Choir; and the Xtreme Soul Line Dancers. Music was provided by DJ Trikky. 

Community Partners included the City of Dallas, LIRA Group, HELP, Empowering the Masses, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Atmos Energy, Target, Oncor, Accident & Injury Chiropractic, Dallas Park and Recreation, HEB, Miles of Freedom, Accelerator Energy, KNON, Radio One, K104 FM, 105.7 FM, Black Voters Matter, Pepsico, National Association of Health Service Professionals, DFW Voices for Education & Youth, Packing House Market, Sam’s Club, Meow Wolf, KGGR Radio, In the City for Good, World Vision, Black Voters Matter, the African American Museum of Dallas.

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2024 Juneteenth 4K Freedom Walk & Festival-Celebrating 50 Years

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center Events

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center is hosting the 2024 Juneteenth 4K Walk & Festival on Saturday, June 15, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

The event will begin with a 4K Freedom Walk for health & wellness, and end with a free community festival with live entertainment, vendors, and fun activities for the entire family.

Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m., the opening ceremony will begin at 9:00 a.m., and the walk will begin at 9:30 a.m. 

To participate in the walk, or as a vendor or volunteer, you must sign up online.

For more information about the festival, please visit bit.ly/MLKJuneteenth24!

2023 Juneteenth 4K Freedom Walk & Festival (Event Recap)

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center Events

On Saturday, June 17, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center hosted the 2023 Juneteenth 4K Freedom Walk & Festival.

An estimated 1,500 people came out to celebrate the Juneteenth holiday. This year’s theme was “Let Freedom Ring.”

There were more than 350 registered participants in the 4K Freedom walk, which included community partners, nonprofits, volunteers, and other supporters of the MLK, Jr. Community Center. Attendees enjoyed 55 unique vendors, free food, including fresh produce from the North Texas Food Bank, snow cones from Kona Ice, fun activities for children, including a bounce house, human hamster balls, and arts and craft activities.

There was a special presentation to unveil a replica of the official historical marker at Southern Methodist University honoring Dr. King’s visit to the university in 1966. The replica will be permanently installed inside of the community center for the public to view and to also listen to a snippet of the speech.

Special guests included Harrison Blair, Master of Ceremony; Dallas City Council member Adam Bazaldua (District 7); Dallas Assistant City Manager Liz Cedillo-Pereira; Vocalist Jyllian Manning; Emma Rodgers, Curator of the Dallas Civil Rights Museum; Dance Instructor Bria Washington; and the MLK Advisory Board. Breakfast was provided by DFW Voices for Education and Youth. Lunch was sponsored by KFC and Williams Chicken. Music was provided by DJ Trikky. 

Community Partners included the City of Dallas, Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce, LIRA Group, HELP, Amazon, Reliant, Oncor, Accident & Injury Chiropractic, Dallas Park and Recreation, Geico, North Texas Food Bank, Southside Quarter Development Corporation, U.S. Renal Care, BODYARMOR, Southern Methodist University, Guayaki, National Association of Health Services Executives, Solv Energy, Walls Project, Anheuser-Busch, Oasis Focus, Inc., Nebraska Furniture Mart, True Pix Photography, and the African American Museum of Dallas.

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-Photos courtesy of True Pix Photography-

 

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Celebrating Juneteenth at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center (Event Recap)

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center Events ,

On Saturday, June 18, 2022, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center, in collaboration with LIRA Group, hosted the MLK Juneteenth 3K Walk & Festival.

An estimated 750 people came out to enjoy the Juneteenth festivities. This year’s theme was “2022 Better Me, Better You” with a primary focus on the walk for “Freedom” and health and wellness. There were more than 280 registered participants in the Center’s first ever 3K freedom walk, which included local community members, community partners, and other supporters of the MLK Center. Attendees enjoyed a variety of vendors, live entertainment, and free activities for children.

Special guests included Dianne Gibson, Mistress of Ceremony; Event Co-Chair Betty Carter Hooey, MLK Advisory Board (District 15); Donniesha Johnson, Fitness Instructor; Leon Shaw, Singer; Event Chair Elaine Sacks, MLK Advisory Board (District 1); Jhayce Anderson, Youth Performer; and Emma Rodgers, Dallas Civil Rights Museum Curator. Breakfast was provided by DFW Voices. Lunch was sponsored by In-N-Out Burger. Music was provided by DJ Trikky and Jeff the DJ. 

Community Partners included the City of Dallas, LIRA Group, HELP, Reliant, Geico, Miles of Freedom, Chase Bank, Accident & Injury Chiropractic, Dallas Park and Recreation, In-N-Out Burger, Dairy Farmers of America, Humana, American Airlines, The Afiya Center, the Walls Project, Oasis Focus, Baylor Scott & White, Kroger, and DFW Voices.

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For more information about the MLK Juneteenth 3K Walk & Festival, please visit www.dallasmlkcenter.com/juneteenth.

2021 MLK Juneteenth Celebration

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center Events ,

On Saturday, June 19, 2021, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center hosted its annual Juneteenth Celebration, in collaboration with the Dallas Police Department Office of Community Affairs.

Attendees drove through the MLK Center’s parking lot and opened their trunks to receive free food, nonperishable goods, household products, informational resources, and more from 30+ Community Partners as we commemorated the Juneteenth holiday.

Community Partners included Reliant NRG, Witherite Law, Ellen’s Kitchen, Fidelity Investments, First Choice Social Services, Destiny’s Giving Hands, South Dallas Community Courts, Empowering the Masses, Texas Juvenile Crime Prevention @ Prairie View A&M University, Alpha Sigma Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Carter’s House, Morales Group Staffing, Abide Women’s Health Services, Miles of Freedom, In the City For Good, Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), Oncor, MLK ChildCareGroup, MLK Library, GoPuff, Dallas Museum of Art, Foremost Family Health Center, Accident & Injury Chiropractic, KIPP Public Charter School, Harambee Festival Steering Committee, Bridgford Foods, DFA Dairy Brands, Operation Tiny House, LIRA Group, Boss Fight Entertainment, Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, and Smoak & Stewart, P.C.

In and Out provided free burgers and drinks to the community. Kona Ice, sponsored by Reliant, provided free snow cones. Starbucks provided free coffee for the volunteers. Music was provided by DJ FLYY.

During the celebration, 31 winners from the Ultimate Dads Give-a-Way picked up their prizes. The grand prize was a dual BBQ grill, a 7-piece luxury patio furniture set, tent, cooler, apron set, gloves, and BBQ grill utensils.

Special thanks to our volunteers including Sons of Solomon, CH Gerald, and Dallas Fire & Rescue.

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2020 MLK Juneteenth Drive-Thru Celebration

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center Events

The Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center will host a Drive-Thru Juneteenth Celebration on Friday, June 19, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Attendees can drive through the MLK parking lot and receive free non-perishable food items, hygiene kits, and household products.

2019 Juneteenth Celebration

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center Events , , , , ,

On Wednesday, June 19, we commemorated Juneteenth with a free community festival where guests enjoyed local vendors, live entertainment, food trucks, children’s activities and more. Sponsors included Leadership Dallas, North Texas Food Bank, Miles of Freedom, Empowering the Masses, and #BeGolden.

There was a special ribbon-cutting ceremony to kick off the grand opening of the new MLK Fresh Food Distribution Center, which will give citizens free access to fresh, healthy foods and dry goods twice per week. Its hours of operation are Wednesdays from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. There are no zip code requirements or income restrictions.

For more information about the MLK Fresh Food Distribution Center, click here or contact a staff member at 214-670-8418.

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#BeGolden Golden Tables Remind Residents of The Golden Rule at Dallas Community Centers

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center Information , , ,

 

(DALLAS / FORT WORTH) To honor this year’s Juneteenth Celebration of freedom, #BeGolden is bringing the values of respect, empathy and compassion into focus by contributing 16 Golden Tables to Dallas area community centers, including MLK Community Center where the celebration will take place.

Golden Tables are painted gold and feature a plaque that says “May we always be welcoming and gather around the table in the spirit of The Golden Rule: “Treat others as you would like to be treated.”

#BeGolden is helping Dallas to build a more welcoming community, and these Golden Tables are a lasting way we can remind everyone that we are all neighbors and it’s up to us to make each other feel welcome. #BeGolden is based on The Golden Rule, a principle that rings true for every culture and every faith. #BeGolden began as an initiative of Bishop Edward Burns and the Diocese of Dallas and is supported by the Mayor’s office, The Richards-Lerma agency, Catholic Charities, The Belo Corporation and Dallas Morning News, and many other civic, faith, business, and school leaders. In particular, the City of Dallas’ Welcoming Communities office is a big advocate of #BeGolden, as it works so well with their mission to bridge the space between newcomers and existing Dallas residents, to find common ground, to foster informed understanding and to promote shared leadership.​​​​​

Since it was launched in April, 2018, #BeGolden has been a part of conversations in many organizations across Dallas and has spread to Louisville, Kentucky and San Antonio, Texas.

#BeGolden exists to build a more welcoming community in the Dallas area and beyond. #BeGolden aims to educate, inspire and generate action helping to create a world where we treat immigrants and all people the way we’d like to be treated, and encourage others to do the same. #BeGolden is supported by City of Dallas Mayor Rawlings, Catholic Diocese of Dallas Bishop Edward Burns, The Richards-Lerma agency, Catholic Charities, The Belo Corporation and Dallas Morning News, and many other civic, faith, business, and school leaders. begoldenjourney.com, and #BEGOLDEN JOURNEY on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

 Please also include WCIA on social media #DallasWCIA, @Dallas_WCIA Twitter, @DallasWCIA Facebook.

Media Release #BeGolden Golden Tables