MLK Events Happening in the Dayton Area

January 18, 2026 TJ Thompson Dayton Flyers

Photo via University of Dayton

Kara Roberts | Contributing Writer

A number of events celebrating Jan. 19, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, in the Dayton area are open to the public.

Flyer News took a quick look at just a few of the events being offered through Jan. 20, events that will be focused on education, community dialogue and remembrance.

In Dayton:

On Jan. 18 at 5 p.m., a free MLK musical concert will take place at the Christian Life Center on Little York Road.
On Jan. 19, from 9 to 10:30 a.m., Sinclair Community College will host a continental breakfast in the Building 12 conference center, followed by a keynote address from author and activist Kevin Powell. Attendees will then have the opportunity to join the memorial march as it passes by campus.
On Jan. 19 beginning at 10 a.m., the annual MLK Memorial March will begin near the Drew Health Center and end near Sinclair Community College’s Building 12. The Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority will provide free shuttle service between the start and end points from 10 a.m. to noon.
On Jan. 19 following the march, The Neon theater will host an MLK Youth Celebration featuring a screening of the film “The Fire Inside” based on the life of undisputed heavyweight champion boxer Claressa Shields.
On Jan. 19 at 6 p.m., MLK Dayton will host its Celebration Banquet at Carillon Historical Park featuring a keynote address from Ahmed Rehab, executive director of the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. He will speak on the continued theme, “America, tell the truth.”
On Jan. 20, from 2 to 4:30 p.m., Sinclair Community College will host a free screening of the documentary “When We Free the World” in Building 12.

Additional MLK Day events will take place throughout the region, from Central State University and Wilberforce University in Greene County, to Miami University in Oxford to Clark State College and Wittenberg University in Springfield. For a quick look at related events across central Ohio, some of which have already occurred, click here.

Editor’s Note: Kara Roberts is enrolled in the Flyer News Practicum, an elective offered through the Department of Communication, College of Arts and Sciences, that gives students experiential opportunities in the journalism arts. The Practicum is offered in the fall and spring.