West Side Grows Together in partnership with Be Ready CDC, the Delaware Humanities, Delaware Music Network, Delaware Nature Society, Humbly Assisting Humanity, I Am My Sister’s Keeper, MSK Community Center, Public Allies Delaware, Todmorden Foundation, West End Neighborhood House, and the Wilmington Peacekeepers will host the 12th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Clean Up, Peace March, and Celebration on Monday, January 15th at MSK Community Center located at 1009 Sycamore Street in the Hedgeville neighborhood of Wilmington. This day of service pays homage to the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and embodies the theme of late civil rights activist and U.S. Representative John Lewis’s words, “Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and redeem the soul of America.”

Attendees are encouraged to save time and pre-register at westsidegrows.org/mlkday-2024, and can sign up for segments of the event if desired.  The day will kick off with a community cleanup in the vicinity of the march route which covers residential areas of the Hedgeville and Hilltop neighborhoods of Wilmington.  

Immediately following the cleanup, attendees will return to MSK Community Center to commence the peace march.  Marchers are encouraged to bring their own posters, make them on site, or use pre-made ones generously made by students from the Tower Hill School.  Everyone is invited to join the Peace March, led by the Wilmington Peacekeepers and youth from I Am My Sister’s Keeper, as we parade through the heart of Wilmington, united in the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream for equality and justice. Neighbors will march together to honor the past, celebrate the present, and dedicate themselves to a brighter future.

After the march, the event will finish with a celebration at the community center, featuring live musical & dance acts presented by Delaware Music Network featuring artists DJ Rock, G Dash Jones, Keyanna Hunt, La Casa De, Move and Inspire, Songbird TheGoddess, and Zeeky El. Free food, including vegan options, from Express Wings & Pizzeria, The Juice Joint 2.0, and La Morenita will also be offered.

In addition to the live show and free food, attendees can shop with local small businesses including Delaware Center for Dance, Chantel Henry of Transformation Fragrances & Skincare Co, Empyreal, Ethnicitiees, Ginger Essence, Jae Sweets, Ministry Minded Media, Philly Smoke SoCo, and Rarehouse Studios, and peruse community resources and sign up for year long opportunities to get in good trouble and contribute to the betterment of our community with the ACLU, National Health Corps, One Step at a Time, Public Allies Delaware, Rheal Urban, and the West Side Grows Together coalition.

Event Schedule

Community Cleanup

10:30 am to 12:00 pm

Meet at MSK Community Center, 1009 Sycamore Street, Wilmington, DE 19805

Peace March

12:00 pm to 1:00 pm

Line Up at MSK Community Center, 1009 Sycamore Street, Wilmington, DE 19805

Celebration

1:00 pm to 3:00 pm

Inside MSK Community Center, 1009 Sycamore Street, Wilmington, DE 19805

Masks are required inside MSK Community Center and will be provided thanks to St. Francis Hospital and the Wilmington Peacekeepers. Limited COVID-19 tests will be available for free thanks to Westside Family Healthcare. Attendees may go to westsidegrows.org/mlkday for event details and to pre-register.  Onsite registration will also be available.

Thank you to our supporters for making this event possible (in alphabetical order): Be Ready CDC, City of Wilmington, Delaware Humanities, Delaware Music Network, Delaware Nature Society, Humbly Assisting Humanity, I Am My Sister’s Keeper, MSK Community Center, Public Allies Delaware, Todmorden Foundation, West End Neighborhood House, West Side Grows Together, and Wilmington Peacekeepers.

This event has been made possible in part by Delaware Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy Demands Wisdom.